UK Defence Secretary John Healey met Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman in London this week to discuss closer ties.
After the meeting, Mr Healey described Saudi Arabia as a “vital partner for the UK in ensuring security and stability in the Gulf”.
The two men discussed opportunities for closer defence co-operation, according to the UK's Ministry of Defence.
The two ministers held an expanded meeting during which they “reviewed the long-standing historic ties between the two friendly countries and discussed strategic co-operation in defence fields, as well as opportunities to enhance it in ways that serve mutual interests”, the official Saudi Press Agency reported. They also addressed regional and international developments, along with issues of mutual concern.
Prince Khalid also met National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell and Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin during the two days of talks, which ended on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia is keen to become the fourth partner nation for the Global Combat Air Programme that will produce the Tempest superjet, the world’s most advanced aircraft, in 2035. The UK is understood to be open to involving another country. The programme was launched in 2022 when a joint company was established, equally owned by aerospace contractors from the three countries: BAE Systems, Leonardo and Aircraft Industrial Enhancement.
The jet is intended to be a multi-role aircraft to replace the RAF’s Typhoons as they leave service from the middle of the next decade.
An official request was made by Riyadh to join the tri-nation project developed by Britain, Italy and Japan in 2023 and it was confirmed in January this year that talks were taking place.
Japan has been more cautious, and initially opposed Saudi Arabia’s inclusion, fearing it might delay the tight deadline to produce the aircraft. In December, the country's Defence Minister Gen Nakatani said “assumptions” should not be made about the participation of other countries.
Italy has lobbied for Saudi Arabia to be brought on board, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni publicly giving her backing to the proposal after meeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Al Ula.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said last month that Saudi Arabia had more resources available than the other three countries as well as “the need for technical growth”.
The Tempest, as it is known in Britain, will have advanced stealth technology with the ability to fly without a pilot. It will also be able to direct swarms of drones, as well as incorporating artificial intelligence and carrying a large ordnance of missiles and directed-energy lasers.
Using digital tools and advanced manufacturing skills, the GCAP alliance plans to build the jet in about half the time it took to launch the Eurofighter Typhoon.
UK ministers have been warned to keep a tight grip on the programme's £12 billion ($16 billion) budget. MPs on the House of Commons defence committee acknowledged that progress so far had been positive but warned that previous projects with other countries had “seen costs spiral and delays pile up”.
Mr Healey announced on Thursday that the UK government would set up a cyber command to counter a “continual and intensifying” level of cyber warfare as part of a strategic defence review.
It will also invest more than £1 billion in a new “digital targeting web” to be set up by 2027 to better connect weapons systems and allow battlefield decisions to be made faster.
It could identify a threat using a sensor on a ship or in space and then disable it using an F-35 aircraft, drone or offensive cyber operation, the Ministry of Defence said.
Mr Healey said the government was responding after about 90,000 cyber attacks from state-linked sources were directed at the UK’s defence over the last two years.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Where to buy art books in the UAE
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Star%20Wars%3A%20Episode%20I%20%E2%80%93%20The%20Phantom%20Menace
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Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Christopher Robin
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Haley Atwell, Jim Cummings, Peter Capaldi
Three stars
Read more about the coronavirus
Emirates exiles
Will Wilson is not the first player to have attained high-class representative honours after first learning to play rugby on the playing fields of UAE.
Jonny Macdonald
Abu Dhabi-born and raised, the current Jebel Ali Dragons assistant coach was selected to play for Scotland at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2011.
Jordan Onojaife
Having started rugby by chance when the Jumeirah College team were short of players, he later won the World Under 20 Championship with England.
Devante Onojaife
Followed older brother Jordan into England age-group rugby, as well as the pro game at Northampton Saints, but recently switched allegiance to Scotland.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
The%20specs
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THE%C2%A0SPECS
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
More on Quran memorisation:
