RIYADH/CAIRO — Saudi Arabia has joined 20 countries in the 'Bright Star' military drill maneuvers at Mohamed Naguib Military Base in the Mediterranean Sea.

The "Bright Star 2021" drill sees the participation of 21 countries, most notably Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates (UAE), France, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Jordan, and Pakistan.

The drill aims at exchanging experiences, coordinating joint work between the participating forces, to unify operational concepts, refine the skills of the participating forces.

It also aims to develop the method of operations and training in combating terrorism, enhance maritime security, train in managing joint air operations, and discover and destroy hostile unmanned aircraft.

Egypt is hosting the 'Bright Star' joint military drill with 21 countries after a one-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The drill, held on the Mohamed Naguib military base at the Mediterranean Sea, will end on September. 17.

It is one of the largest and most important world military exercises due to the large number of participating troops. The drill, originally scheduled for September 2020, was suspended due to the raging COVID-19 pandemic. — SPA