Prince Abdullah bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Saudi National Guard, received Ahn Gyu-back, Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Korea, and Seok Jong-gun, Minister of the Defense Acquisition Program of the Republic of Korea.

The meeting reviewed means to strengthen defense cooperation, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The meeting also explored opportunities to develop partnerships within the military industry.

During the talks, Ahn said he thinks highly of the continued cooperation between the two countries in the defense and arms industries, citing Seoul’s role as a key partner in Saudi Vision 2030 initiative, Yonhap News reported.

Under the initiative, the Kingdom aims to localize over 50 percent of military equipment procurement by 2030, in addition to modernizing the military.

In response, Prince Abdullah said he welcomed Ahn’s visit, hoping the talks would serve as an opportunity for further moving their relations, according to the South Korean Ministry of National Defense.

The two sides also agreed to expand cooperation to boost mutual trust, including through personnel exchanges and joint military training.

The Saudi National Guard is responsible for protecting the royal family, Holy Islamic sites, and oil facilities. Its personnel number around 130,000, accounting for roughly half of the Kingdom’s total Armed Forces.

Under ‘Vision 2030,’ the Saudi government is also pursuing localization of its defense industry, aiming to produce more than 50% of previously imported military equipment domestically. Modernization projects for the National Guard’s ground equipment are also underway.

South Korean defense firms have been actively pushing to take part in the Gulf country’s projects to strengthen its military assets, with Hanwha Aerospace Co. opening a regional headquarters in Riyadh last month. (SPA; Yonhap News; The Korea Post; Photo © Yonhap)