Saudi Arabia is working seriously to strengthen and expand its military capabilities so that it can defend itself, while also developing a domestic defence industry to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers for arms purchases from the United States or Europe, former head of Saudi intelligence, Prince Turki Al Faisal has said.
In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Prince Turki spoke about the presence of US military bases in the Gulf and whether they had enhanced regional protection.
He added that Saudi Arabia is also co-operating with its partners in the Gulf to establish a joint defence command, noting that the current regional situation will accelerate the formation of a comprehensive Gulf defence leadership aimed at protecting the Gulf states.
Asked whether hosting US bases had been a strategic mistake in the long term and whether Washington’s defensive stance could still be trusted, Prince Turki replied: “I can only speak about what I see happening in Saudi Arabia. For this reason, the kingdom is striving to enhance and expand its military capabilities and to develop a local military industry so that we do not have to rely on outside powers.”
He added that this joint Gulf defence structure is something that has been anticipated for some time and that recent developments may hasten its realisation.
Prince Turki also noted that during the administration of former US President Donald Trump in 2019, Iran carried out attacks against the kingdom, yet Washington did not provide direct military support at the time.
“Therefore, it was not surprising to us that assistance might not come,” he said, adding that Saudi Arabia remains committed to development and stability rather than being drawn into wider military conflicts in the region.
He concluded that the kingdom seeks to continue its path of social, industrial and commercial development while strengthening its ability to defend itself and co-operate with its Gulf partners on collective security.
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