The final stage of the North Thunder drills was launched on Thursday in Saudi Arabia with the attendance of Saudi King Salman ben Abdel Aziz, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and a number of Arab and Islamic leaders.

The drills are the largest military drills in the region with the participation of Egypt and more than 20 other Islamic and Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Senegal, Sudan, Kuwait, Maldives, Morocco, Pakistan, Chad, Tunisia, Comoros, Djibouti, Oman, Qatar, Malaysia, Mauritania and Mauritius.

Egypt is the second state with regard to the number of its armed forces taking part in the pan-Arab and Islamic military drills.

The move comes just months after Saudi Arabia formed an anti-terror coalition of 34 mainly Muslim nations.

Source: MENA