A meeting took place between the Minister of National Defense of South Korea, Kim Yong-hyun, and the Saudi National Guard Minister, Abdullah bin Bandar Al Saud, as Saudi Arabia is pursuing a long-term weapon acquisition project worth 30 trillion won. The Ministry of Defense announced today (the 5th) that the bilateral talks were held at the ministry’s building where they discussed strengthening defense and defense industry cooperation.
During the meeting, Minister Kim mentioned the collaboration between the National Guard and the Korean defense company Hanwha on the introduction of ground equipment, stating, “Korea is the best partner capable of package cooperation including joint research and development and follow-up logistics support.” Minister Abdullah responded with hopes to expand cooperation in various defense fields as well as the defense industry through strengthened partnerships with Korea.
Prior to the meeting, the Saudi delegation observed an integrated fire annihilation training of combined arms at the Seungjin training ground in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. The exercise featured key military assets such as the K-9 self-propelled howitzers and K2 tanks, and Minister Abdullah expressed that the army training was impressive.
The Saudi National Guard Department, separate from the Ministry of Defense, is a body tasked with defending areas including the royal family, the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, and oil fields. This marks the first visit of the Saudi National Guard Minister to Korea.
Saudi Arabia is advancing an acquisition project worth approximately 30 trillion won, targeting armored vehicles, self-propelled howitzers, anti-aircraft equipment, radars, reconnaissance surveillance equipment, and ammunition, with the final selection of contractors expected as soon as next month.
It’s reported that alongside the Korean company Hanwha, Chinese state-owned defense companies and Turkish companies have also submitted proposals focused on armored vehicles, wheeled self-propelled howitzers, and ammunition.
A government official stated, “The Saudi long-term acquisition project is one our country must secure to emerge as one of the world’s top four defense powers by 2027.”
[Photo source: Provided by the Ministry of National Defense]