The Defense Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCC) held their 18th meeting Monday at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Riyadh, headed by Minister of Defense Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain Lieutenant-General Abdullah bin Hassan Al Nuaimi, with participation of GCC Secretary General Dr. Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf and Assistant Secretary General for Military Affairs at the GCC General Secretariat Major General Ahmed Ali Hamid Al Ali.
The meeting dealt with a number of topics of joint military action on the meeting's agenda, and appropriate decisions and recommendations were taken, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Saudi Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Minister of Defense, headed the delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the meeting.
In a speech at the meeting, the Saudi Deputy Minister of Defense conveyed the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and HRH the Crown Prince and their deep appreciation of the Council for its sincere efforts undertaken over the past period. He also extended his thanks to the brotherly Kingdom of Bahrain for chairing and hosting the 18th session of the Joint Defense Council of the GCC Defense Ministers.
The Deputy Minister of Defense expressed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's welcome and hosting of the upcoming 19th session of the Joint Defense Council of the GCC Defense Ministers.
For his part, Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi, UAE Minister of State for Defense Affairs, led the UAE’s delegation to the meeting, Emirates news agency WAM reported.
Meanwhile, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and the US Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, have deliberated the strategic relations between the UAE and the US across various levels, with special emphasis on areas of defense.
This came as Sheikh Mohamed received Austin at Qasr Al Shati’ Palace in Abu Dhabi, where they also reviewed a number of international and regional issues of interest.
The meeting was attended by H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, the Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports Company, Mohamed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, the Undersecretary of the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi, and Major General Saleh Mohammed Saleh Megrin Al Ameri, Commander of Joint Operations.
