Qatar officially launched the fourth edition of Arabian Gulf Security — a large-scale joint tactical exercise bringing together security forces from across the Gulf Cooperation Council — in a ceremony Sunday under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.
The exercise, which runs until 4 February, features comprehensive participation from all six GCC member states — Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates — alongside specialised security units from the United States.
His Excellency Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior Abdullah bin Khalaf bin Hattab al-Kaabi attended the opening ceremony, along with Assistant Secretary-General for Security Affairs at the GCC General Secretariat Brigadier-General Hamad Ajlan al-Amim, Their Excellencies the heads of the exercise's higher committees from across GCC nations, and senior officers and representatives of the participating security agencies.
Arabian Gulf Security 4 comprises over 70 advanced training scenarios, amassing more than 260 hours of intensive field drills aimed at sharpening tactical preparedness and boosting operational efficiency.
Officials have underscored the exercise's core objectives: to elevate security readiness among participating forces, strengthen integration and field co-ordination across multiple agencies, and assess and refine operational plans, response protocols, and joint interoperability. The drills are designed to reflect the advanced professionalism and evolving capabilities of Gulf security agencies in facing contemporary security challenges.
The scenarios are built around real-world situations, spanning from counterterrorism and emergency response to complex field operations, enabling participating forces to critically evaluate and enhance collective strategies.
Arabian Gulf Security 4 forms part of a wider series of periodic joint tactical exercises, initiated by GCC Interior Ministers, with the goal of reinforcing collective regional security and fostering a unified operational command structure.
The first edition was held in Bahrain in 2016, followed by the second in the United Arab Emirates in 2019, and the third in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province in 2022. The ongoing fourth edition now highlights Qatar's pivotal role as a strategic host and active contributor to regional stability.
This continued collaboration supports the GCC's broader mission of developing an integrated and agile security framework, as laid out in the Joint Security Agreement and in line with the GCC's collective security principles.
