America News Agency

Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received the UAE Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in Manama.

According to a statement by the UAE Ministry of Defence, Bahrain's National Security Advisor and Commander of the Royal Guard, Brigadier General Prince Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and Commander of the Royal Guard Special Operations, Brigadier General Prince Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, also attended the meeting.

The statement noted that the visit coincided with the "Bahrain Shield" joint military exercise hosted by the Bahrain Defence Force.

The exercise was attended by the Mohammed bin Zayed Squadron of the UAE Armed Forces, various military units from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, and elements of the Peninsula Shield Force.

The statement said the exercise was organized to strengthen joint military cooperation among the Gulf countries and to enhance the level of coordination and integration between their armed forces.

It added that the exercise aims to implement operational scenarios, conduct field training, exchange experience, improve command and control systems, and raise preparedness against various security and defence threats.

It was also stated that Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum reviewed the stages of the exercise and the training activities carried out by the participating units.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was accompanied during the visit by UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Lieutenant General Issa Saif bin Ablan Al Mazrouei, and senior officials from the Ministry of Defence.