Gulf | Saudi Arabia
New force to guard Saudi oil facilities
Saudi Arabia has begun setting up a new 35,000-strong specialised security force to protect its oil facilities from potential attacks.
- By Andrew England, The Financial Times
- Published: 23:06 August 27, 2007
Cairo: Saudi Arabia has begun setting up a new 35,000-strong specialised security force to protect its oil facilities from potential attacks.
The move underlines the kingdom's growing concern about the security of its installations in the face of threats from Al Qaida to attack oil facilities, and rising tensions between Iran and the US. There have been fears that military confrontation between Iran and Washington could provoke Tehran to retaliate against US interests across the Gulf, including in Saudi Arabia.
Recruitment for the security force began several months ago. It already has more than 5,000 personnel, who are being trained in the use of new surveillance equipment and crisis management under a programme managed by US defence group Lockheed Martin, a Saudi strategic affairs adviser has said. The training is part of a US government contract, according to the Nicosia-based Middle East Economic Survey, which first revealed that Lockheed was involved in training the force.
Lockheed was not immediately available to comment. The kingdom, which is the world's biggest oil exporter and has 25 per cent of the world's proven oil reserves, is investing an estimated $4billion-$5billion (about Dh14.6 billion-18.5 billion) in the new equipment and the force, the adviser added. Saudi Arabia already has a 75,000-strong army, an air force of 18,000, a navy of 15,500 and an air defence force of 16,000.
'Soft' targets
Washington announced a proposed arms deal in July, estimated to be worth $20 billion, with the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Saudi Arabia, to boost security in the region.
Although several attacks have targeted the Saudi oil infrastructure, so far terrorists have failed to disrupt oil shipments and have only been successful against "soft" targets, such as residential compounds and offices blocks.
"The attack in 2006 was a wake-up call to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It saw what it did to the markets, so what would have happened it if had succeeded? Saudi Arabia would have lost all its credibility as the ultimate guarantor of oil stability," the Saudi adviser said. Members of the new force - announced by the interior minister last month - are being heavily vetted and largely recruited from outside the security forces because of the specific nature of its task, but it will also include members of the existing forces.
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