Rabat – Saudi Arabia has reportedly pledged to help finance Morocco’s military industry.
Minister Delegate to the Head of Government for the administration of National Defense, Abdellatif Loudiyi, met on Wednesday in Rabat with Muhammad bin Abdullah Al Ayesh, Saudi Deputy Defense Minister, according to Maghreb Arab Press (MAP). During the meeting, both side signed an Agreement on Military and Technical Operations on Wednesday.
The working visit of the Saudi delegation, was marked by the signing of an agreement of military and technical cooperation between the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces and the Saudi Armed Forces. The agreement aims to strengthen military and technical cooperation between the two countries through training, joint exercises and exchange of visits of official delegations and experts, according to MAP.
Morocco will benefit from such an agreement and become a producer of weapons, earning an important role in the International Defense Industry, according to Le360 news website.
Saudi Arabia has often provided Morocco with financial support for armament acquisition. The new agreement will allow Morocco to develop a national “embryonic” military industry backed by financial support from the Saudi Kingdom.
Morocco has been preparing for the development of a national military industry for a few years.
The agreement between Morocco and Saudi Arabia can be added to the latest advancements of the booming business aviation industry in Morocco.
International companies specialized in the manufacturing of satellites and air defense, such as Bombardier, Airbus, Safran and Thales to launch in 2016, have opened their doors in Moroccan territory.
In addition, Morocco has agreements with Spain for the manufacturing of military transport aircraft, with France for the establishment of a naval military industry, and with the U.S. for the construction of armored vehicles.
“No less than 220 billion dirhams will be invested by the Kingdom over a period of four years (2015-2019) to strengthen the deterrent capabilities of the Royal Armed Forces,” the Strategic Defense Intelligence Institute (SDI) revealed.
