City Desk
ISLAMABAD: Chief of General Staff Saudi Armed Forces, General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili on Thursday called on Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu here at Air Headquarters. Leading a high level delegation, the Saudi Chief of General Staff expressed his admiration for the exceptional progress made by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), particularly in the area of indigenisation and lauded the professionalism of PAF personnel during the meeting whereas the delegation also underscored discussion on several key areas of mutual interest, defence co-operation and geo-strategic situation, a PAF news release said. On his arrival, a smartly turned-out contingent of Pakistan Air Force presented General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili the guard of honour. Later, the visiting dignitary was introduced to the Principal Staff Officers. During the meeting, the Chief of the Air Staff shared his pragmatic policy decisions aimed at modernizing PAF through the smart acquisition of niche technologies with a special focus on artificial intelligence, cyberspace, and electronic warfare, in addition to the upgradation of infrastructure and revitalization of operational and training domains. The Air Chief highlighted that Saudi Arabia being the center of the Muslim world and a significant strategic partner, has longstanding religious, cultural and historical bond with Pakistan which is exemplified through robust bilateral relations. He also reiterated his unwavering commitment to enhancing the existing ties in realms of military-to-military cooperation, joint exercises and collaborative training. Highlighting the bond of brotherhood between the two nations, the Air Chief said, “Pakistan values its strong diplomatic, economic and defence relationship with Saudi Arabia which is based on convergence on all important issues relating to regional peace, security and stability.” The Chief of General Staff Saudi Armed Forces also pledged to play his role in further improving the existing bilateral ties at all levels and expressed his desire to consolidate cooperation in various fields including training, emerging technologies and mutual cooperation in the aviation industry. The Saudi delegation also visited different installations and technological infrastructure including PAF’s National ISR & Integrated Air Operations Centre (NIIAOC) and PAF’s Cyber Command along with National Aerospace Science and Technology Park (NASTP), where they were briefed about the operational capabilities and ongoing projects of PAF’s modernization drive. The Chief of the Air Staff briefed the visiting dignitary about his vision of PAF’s National Aerospace Science & Technology Park project and highlighted that the mega project was aimed at fostering collaborative research, development and innovation in the domains of aviation, space, IT, cyber & computing to ensure social, economic, technological and scientific benefits both for Pakistan and our valuable partners. The visiting dignitary expressed keen interest in the National Aerospace Science & Technology Park which will serve as a beacon of innovation to promote futuristic aerospace and aviation capabilities. He also appreciated the unwavering commitment of the Air Chief in making the project a huge success in a record time. The meeting between Chief of the Air Staff and Chief of General Staff Saudi Armed Forces is a testament to the strong commitment of both nations to further enhance their strategic partnership through continued dialogue and collaboration.