The Lebanese Army announced Friday that it would receive the first shipment of French arms as part of a military aid package from Saudi Arabia starting next week.

A ceremony to inaugurate the first weapon's shipment will take place at Rafik Hariri International Airport at 8:30 a.m. Monday.

Lebanese Deputy Premier and Defense Minister Samir Moqbel, his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, Lebanese Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi and the Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad Asiri will attend the ceremony, the statement, carried by the Lebanese Daily Star, said.

Former Lebanese President Michel Suleiman announced in December last year that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia donated the Lebanese army USD 3 billion to equip the army with French weapons.