Italy-Saudi Arabia Civil Defence Officials Discuss Enhanced Cooperation

Riyadh: A meeting was convened today at the Directorate General of Civil Defence in Riyadh between the Head of the Italian Civil Defence Department, Prefect Fabio Ciciliano, and the Director General of Civil Defence, Major General Hamoud Suleiman Al Faraj. The gathering, initiated by the Saudi side, aimed to bolster the ongoing collaboration between Italy and Saudi Arabia in civil defence.

According to Ansa News Agency, this mission is part of a cooperative process that began in 2020. The collaboration initially involved air support from the Italian Civil Defence to combat fires in Saudi Arabia’s Asir province. The relationship was further solidified by the official visit of the Saudi Minister of the Interior, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to Rome’s Italian Civil Defence Department in February.

Today’s discussions focused on sharing experiences and recent practices in civil protection and managing significant events. The visit also explored new areas for collaboration, aiming to
enhance bilateral cooperation on preventing and responding to contemporary threats. This initiative seeks to mitigate potential impacts on populations and the environment.