Saudi Defense Minister, his French counterpart discuss bilateral military cooperation

Saudi Defense Minister, HRH Prince Khalid bin Salman received a phone call on Wednesday from the Minister of Armed Forces of the French Republic Mr. Sebastien Lecornu according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

During the call, the two ministers reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries.

They also discussed cooperation and joint coordination in the military and defense field, and ways to enhance it, in addition to discussing several issues of common interest.

Recent years have witnessed leaps in security and military cooperation between Saudi Arabia and France. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has utilized French expertise to localize its military industries for decades.

France, the third largest arms exporter in the world, considers Saudi Arabia among its largest customers. Companies such as Dassault and Thales have massive contracts with Riyadh.

In the past few years, Riyadh has bought tanks, armored vehicles, ammunition, artillery, and warships from France.