Riyadh: Saudi Military Exercises “Sword of Abdullah” are concluding today. This is biggest ground exercise of Saudi Army and a large number of military experts and chiefs of army staff of gulf states along with Chief of Army of Pakistan Gen. Raheel Sharif are observing concluding ceremony of exercises.
Saudi Arabia is at top in global military spending race by spending 9.3% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). On second position in race is UAE in reference to to its GDP by spending 4.7% of its total GDP and third is United States that is spending 3.8% of its GDP. Saudi Arabia was also top in military spending in year 2012 with 8.1% of its GDP. Saudi Arabia is also offering lucrative incentives to Pakistan to send 75,000 soldiers for training its forces and gave a gift of 1.5 billion $ this year to Pakistan.
Pakistan army chief left for Saudi Arabia on the invitation of Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The army chief along with King of Bahrain, Crown Prince of United Arab Emirate (UAE), Prime Minister of Jordan and other military commanders from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will witness the Exercise to be held on Tuesday (April 29) today.
