October 21, 2003	Tuesday	Sha'aban 24, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 20: The visit of Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz to Pakistan has paved the way for major sales of indigenously-manufactured defence equipment, including Al Khalid tanks and Super Mashak training aircraft, to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

An exhibition of Pakistani military equipment held exclusively for Crown Prince Abdullah, the deputy premier and commander of the National Guard of Saudi Arabia, was a strategic step in this direction.

The equipment was put on display after Riyadh signalled it was interested in buying military products from Pakistan.

“It was definitely coordinated,” Inter Services Public Relations Director-General Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan said when Dawn asked him if the exhibition was put up on a request from Riyadh.

“The exhibition was specially organized at the Convention Centre for the Saudi crown prince”, but through this event, we were able to flash our defence products around the globe as it was telecast live, he said.

The exhibition with around a dozen stalls of defence products was organized by the Defence Export Promotion Organization.

On the shopping list of the Saudi kingdom are Al-Khalid combat tanks, Super Mashak trainer aircraft, and armoured personnel carrier Saad, sources said.

Pakistani military officials expressed the hope that Riyadh would strike a deal soon for a sizable number of Al Khalid tanks and Mashak aircraft. The two products are said to be ideally suited for the desert temperatures.

Military sources told Dawn that Saudi Arabia had also shown interest in buying top-of-the-line small arms like 5.56 mm rifles, electronic equipment such as night vision devices and thermal imaging gadgets. Surface-to-air guided missile, Anza, also seemed to be on their shopping list.

A team of Saudi technicians has already arrived in Pakistan for trials of the Al Khalid tank, reliable sources told Dawn .

After these trials, the tanks would be transported to Saudi Arabia for more trials.

The sources say the Saudis have already carried out trials of Super Mashak aircraft both in Pakistan and in Saudi Arabia.

“Pakistan sees Saudi Arabia as a good and potential buyer,” maintained Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan who believes that in the changing global environment, there is a great scope for Pakistan to market its defence products.

Pakistan is exporting its defence products, including the Super Mashak aircraft, to a number of countries in the Middle East and Africa.

Currently, the sale of Pakistani defence products to Saudi Arabia remain limited to small arms and ammunition. Saudi Arabia has been buying most of its military equipment from the Western markets, but after the 9/11 terror attacks, it is also exploring markets in the Islamic world.