Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz said in Riyadh on Monday that the presence of leaders and representatives of 20 friendly countries at the closing ceremony of the North Thunder military exercise proved their eagerness to further strengthen military ties.

Thanking them for their attendance, King Salman said the North Thunder maneuvers raised the level of combat readiness and helped assess the ability to manage military operations to achieve the unity of ranks and ward off dangers facing Arab and Islamic nations.

King Salman was chairing the weekly session of the Council of Ministers at Al-Yamama Palace in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

Following the Cabinet session, Minister of Culture and Information Adel Al-Turaifi said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that the Ministers congratulated the King, the Crown Prince and the Deputy Crown Prince on the success of the closing maneuvers of the North Thunder exercise and the military parade associated with the exercise with the participation of Saudi Armed Forces and forces from a number of countries.

The Cabinet commended the efforts exerted by the authorities concerned in organizing the exercise which achieved its objectives.

Saudi Arabia concluded on Thursday a 20-country joint military exercise that aimed at unifying armed tactics for the region’s stability.

King Salman was present along with many leaders and representatives to witness the conclusion of exercises in Hafr Al-Batin where the event took place.

The Cabinet reiterated that anyone who belongs to Hezbollah, sympathizes with it, supports it financially or harbors any of its members will be severely punished.

The Cabinet also praised the security authorities for their unrelenting pursuit of those “involved in terror activities.”