Saudi Arabia and Qatar Defense Export Kickoff... Minister Shin Won-sik Visits Middle East

Discussions Likely on Export of Air Defense Weapons
Also Talks on Joint Development of 6th Generation Fighter with Saudi Arabia

Full-scale efforts to export defense products to the Middle East region are underway. Defense Minister Shin Won-sik plans to visit the Middle East to inspect the defense products exported so far and hold follow-up discussions in the defense and defense industry sectors.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is taking a commemorative photo with Crown Prince Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, who visited the Riyadh Guesthouse last year. After their conversation, President Yoon and Crown Prince Bin Salman moved together to the Future Investment Initiative Forum discussion venue. (Photo by Joint Press Corps) [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 1st, Minister Shin will hold a ministerial-level meeting with Mohamed bin Mubarak Al Mazrouei, the UAE Minister of State for Defense Affairs, and visit the Ark Unit to encourage overseas deployed troops. From the 3rd to the 5th, he will visit Saudi Arabia, and from the 5th to the 7th, he will visit Qatar to hold talks with Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.

Among Middle Eastern countries, Saudi Arabia is the most proactive in Korean defense industry cooperation. President Yoon Suk-yeol made a state visit to Saudi Arabia last year and held talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, promising defense cooperation. Saudi Arabia, the Sunni Islamic leader, accounted for 9.6% of the world's arms imports from 2018 to 2022, ranking second after India (11%) as a major arms importer.

As a follow-up to the summit between the two heads of state, Minister Shin is scheduled to meet with Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Defense. Minister Khalid is the brother of Crown Prince Mohammed. The meeting will discuss the joint development of a 6th-generation fighter jet. The Korean government will explain the plan to develop a 6th-generation fighter based on the Korean fighter KF-21 (4.5 generation). It will emphasize that developing based on the KF-21 can significantly reduce the development period.

He is also expected to meet with Abdullah bin Bandar Al Saud, Minister of National Guard. The National Guard is a separate department from the armed forces, responsible for protecting the royal family and oil facilities. There is high interest in air defense systems. Discussions are expected on the medium-range surface-to-air guided missile (M-SAM-II, Cheongung-II). The M-SAM-II, known as the ‘Korean Patriot,’ is considered a key force in the lower-tier defense system intercepting missiles at altitudes of 30 to 40 km. In 2022, it was exported to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a deal worth $3.5 billion (about 4.73 trillion KRW).

In particular, the 2nd Saudi International Defense Exhibition (WDS) 2024 will be held in Riyadh from the 4th. This year, more than 750 companies and over 100,000 visitors are expected. Many domestic defense companies are also expected to participate.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.