RIYADH: A multinational joint air exercise involving several Arab countries was launched on Sunday in Al-Kharj in central Saudi Arabia, the ministry of defense said. Maj. Gen. Mohsen bin Saeed Al-Zahrani, commander of the Prince Sultan Air Base, and heads of participating delegations were present as the Tuwaiq 2 exercise got underway, with countries including Oman, the UAE, Jordan and Egypt taking part, and Kuwait and Bahrain observing. The two-week exercise “aims to ensure the highest levels of readiness, and achieve operational compatibility and integration,” the ministry said. Lt. Col. Mohammed Ibrahim bin Sufyan, commander of the exercise, said that the air exercise will be carried out in different stages, including planning and implementing flights. “The exercise aims to raise the operational and training readiness for tactical airdrops and raise the spirit of competition among the participants,” he added. Air forces taking part in the exercise arrived at the Prince Sultan Air Base on Friday along with their air, technical and administrative crews.