Saudi Assistant Defense Minister Talal Bin Abdullah Bin Turki Al-Otaibi met on 20/1/2025 with the Advisor to the French Minister of the Armed Forces for Industrial Affairs and Innovation, Ardian Falcon, in Riyadh.
The meeting between Al-Otaibi and Falcon focused on France's readiness to expand agreements and partnerships for the transfer and localization of advanced defense technologies.
The following note provides an overview of key aspects in this regard, including:
- The current status of Saudi-French discussions on the transfer and localization of advanced defense technologies
- Key areas of interest for the Kingdom, including artificial intelligence (AI) integration into specific systems
- An update on the Rafale fighter jet file and the political and strategic factors shaping the decision-making process
Also, the note highlights Saudi Arabia’s stance on defense cooperation with France.
