Ahmad Al-Khatib, chairman of Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), said that the Kingdom and France were two countries in the G-20, which share similar interests and common challenges. “Our team and departments are in regular contact with the French side in order to achieve the aspirations of the countries in various military and defense fields,” Khatib said during the “Defense and Security Technology Conference” organized by SAMI in the French capital, under the slogan of “strengthening partnerships”. He noted that the conference would contribute to strengthening bilateral relations in the coming years, driven by the joint desire of both countries to move fruitful cooperation forward. Al-Khatib said that the event was an important platform for introducing the Saudi Company for Military Industries and presenting its latest achievements, initiatives and future plans. He added that the conference was held in favorable conditions, in which the Kingdom and France would explore new horizons for partnership and promote historic relations between the two countries. The Saudi company displayed its future plans for developing and supporting the military industries in the Kingdom and enhancing its self-sufficiency, as well as the measures the company intends to implement to effectively contribute to nationalizing 50% of the Kingdom’s military spending, boosting the growth rate of non-oil export revenues, and creating thousands of jobs for the Saudi youth, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. The conference was attended by a number of senior Saudi and French government officials, a group of experts and representatives of French defense and security companies, members of the board of directors of major companies and members of the Saudi delegation accompanying the Crown Prince during his current visit to France.