Greece will maintain its Patriot air defense missile battery in Saudi Arabia, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias confirmed following meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman in Riyadh on Thursday, October 15.
The continuation of the Greek military deployment was a central topic of the talks, alongside bilateral defense cooperation and regional security developments.
The Greek Patriot battery is stationed in Yanbu, where it helps protect Saudi Arabia’s critical energy infrastructure.
Dendias Meets Saudi Leadership
During his meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Dendias discussed regional security developments and prospects for expanding strategic cooperation between Athens and Riyadh.
The crown prince thanked Greece for the contribution of its Patriot battery to Saudi Arabia’s air defense.
In a separate meeting, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman also expressed appreciation for the Greek deployment. Discussions covered military cooperation, defense innovation and technical arrangements for maintaining the Greek missile system in Yanbu.
“We discussed a number of issues, including technical matters concerning the continued presence of our battery in Yanbu,” Dendias said.
Visit to Greek Military Personnel
Following his meetings in Riyadh, Dendias traveled to Yanbu on Thursday evening to visit the Greek military contingent operating the Patriot system.
He was welcomed by Saudi Major General Ahmed Ali Aldabeis and briefed by the commander of the Hellenic Force in Saudi Arabia on its operations. Dendias also met Greek service members and thanked them for their work.
Speaking after the visit, the defense minister said the deployment provides Greek personnel with operational experience relevant to the country’s defense requirements.
“Through their presence here, they gain useful experience. Experience that the Greek Armed Forces need, because, as we know very well, Greece is not a country that faces no threats,” Dendias said.
“Our neighborhood, our region, is not a neighborhood of angels,” he added.
The minister also said the mission contributes to Greece’s international standing and demonstrates the operational capabilities of its Armed Forces.
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