Riyadh, Rajab 15, 1439, Apr 1, 2018, SPA -- Assistant Minister of Defense Mohammad bin Abdullah Al-Ayesh paid an inspection tour today to the field where the 'Joint Gulf Shield Drill 1' is being held. The drill is organized by the Ministry of Defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with participation of 23 countries. During the inspection tour, Al-Ayesh met with officials responsible for the drill's administrative units and support area as well as the Advanced Operations Center, where he was briefed on the work process and the volume of operations. The drill is one of the largest military drills in the region that aims at increasing the military readiness of the participating countries, updating joint mechanisms and measures applied by security and military services in addition to promoting joint military and security coordination and cooperation. --SPA 18:43 LOCAL TIME 15:43 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w656327