Manama – Troops participating in the first GCC exercise of security forces “Arab Gulf Security 1” exercises preceded their drills for the fifth day according to the timeline.

The exercise aims to reinforce joint security procedures and enhance readiness of security forces and field coordination. The exercise sends a message that the six states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) support each other against any threat.

The aim of the drill is to exchange experiences and unify the concepts and measures in case of any threats to the national security.

“Arab Gulf Security 1” exercises will continue until mid-November with the participation of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.

This exercise comes after “Gulf Shield 1” executed by the Royal Saudi Navy Forces and the “Gulf Bridge 17” completed by the Saudi Navy and Bahraini Navy.

“Arab Gulf Security 1” lasts for 20 days in drills simulating security threats that could face the states of extremist organizations whether supported by foreign states or transcontinental.

Security source told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the security scenarios are mainly about invasion, rescue, and dealing with terrorist organizations and cells.

The importance of the security exercise is that it helps Gulf security forces to better respond to different security situations, and manage operations and confront terrorist plots targeting the security and stability of the GCC member states.

All of the participating security forces have completed the preparations that are part of the GCC security agreement that was struck during the 16th meeting in Doha in April 2015 to achieve integration between security forces and reinforce joint counterterrorism capabilities.