SEOUL – A high-ranking defense official from Saudi Arabia is scheduled to visit South Korea this week to review various indigenous weapons systems, signaling a strengthening of defense industry ties between the two nations.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Talal bin Abdullah Al-Otaibi, the assistant minister of defense for Saudi Arabia, is set to begin a three-day visit starting Wednesday.
Al-Otaibi's visit aims to provide him with an in-depth look at significant South Korean defense advancements, including the in-progress KF-21 fighter jet, the M-SAM II mid-range surface-to-air missile system, and the 3,000-ton Dosan Ahn Changho-class submarine. This tour follows a notable agreement in November, when South Korean defense company LIG Nex1 finalized a contract to supply Saudi Arabia with 10 M-SAM II batteries, valued at US$3.2 billion.
The trip is a continuation of recent discussions on defense cooperation, highlighted by South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik's visit to the kingdom last month. During his visit, Shin outlined Seoul's development plans for the next-generation KF-21 fighter jet, catering to Saudi Arabia's vested interest in advancing their military capabilities. Although the KF-21 currently lacks the stealth features of fifth-generation aircraft, such as the F-35A, South Korea has ambitions to evolve the jet into a more advanced sixth-generation fighter.
In a related development, Iraq's Defense Minister Thabet Muhammad Al-Abbasi is slated to visit South Korea next week to engage in defense cooperation discussions, following earlier visits by Iraqi military delegates this month.