US, Saudi Arabia wrap up joint military exercises

Saudi Arabia and the United States have wrapped up their joint military exercises in the Arab country’s northwest, reports say.

The “Friendship 3” and “Desert Hawk 3” drills which were reportedly launched on April 5 in Tabuk region ended on Sunday. Saudi and American ground forces participated in the drills.
Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Salman bin Sultan said the exercises were held upon the order of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz with the aim of boosting the preparedness of Saudi forces in the region.

The joint exercises came as Saudi Arabia has recently increased its arms purchases. According to a Monday report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the Arab country is the major purchaser of military equipment in the Middle East and has doubled its military expenditure over the past decade.

The Saudi regime spent USD 67 billion in 2013 on arms, which indicates a 14-percent increase compared to 2012, the report said, adding that Riyadh’s military budget ranks fourth in the world, leapfrogging Britain, Japan and France.

This is while Saudi Arabia has been involved in violence in the Middle East, particularly by supporting Takfiri militants fighting against the Syrian government and backing the Bahraini regime in its crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.
The Saudi regime has repeatedly been criticized by international rights groups for human rights violations inside the country and elsewhere.
On March 14, 2011, Saudi troops invaded Bahrain to assist the Al Khalifa regime in its crackdown on peaceful protesters.
In October 2013, rights group Amnesty International censured Saudi authorities for not addressing the “dire human rights situation” in the kingdom.