On the evening of Thursday, 15 October 2026, Defence Minister Nikos Dendias visited the facilities of the Hellenic Force in Saudi Arabia (ELDYSA) in the Yanbu area, on the sidelines of a visit to Riyadh. He was welcomed on behalf of the Saudi Armed Forces by Major General Ahmed Ali Aldabeis.
The Defence Minister was briefed by ELDYSA’s commander on its mission and spoke with personnel, whom he thanked for carrying out their duties. He also praised ELDYSA’s role and importance, both in the region and for Greece.
Speaking after the visit, Mr Dendias first said that “I was pleased, first of all, to be received by the Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, who thanked me for our presence in Saudi Arabia, for the presence of the Greek battery and for our participation in the defence of Saudi Arabia,” adding that “there was also a broader discussion of geopolitical developments in the region”.
“Immediately afterwards, I met with the Defence Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, who began by expressing his gratitude for the presence of the Greek battery in Saudi Arabia.”
They went on to discuss a range of issues, he said, including technical matters relating to the Greek battery at Yanbu.
“I was very pleased to shake hands with the personnel of the Hellenic Force in Saudi Arabia, the women and men who operate the Patriot systems and contribute to the defence of the Kingdom, while also helping to defend our homeland,” the Defence Minister said.
They contribute, he noted, “not only by protecting energy facilities, but also by maintaining our country’s standing and capabilities at a high level”.
“By being here, they gain valuable experience. Experience that the Greek Armed Forces need, because, as we know very well, Greece is not a country that faces no threats. Our neighbourhood, our region, is no neighbourhood of angels,” Mr Dendias concluded.
Earlier on Thursday, 15 October 2026, the Defence Minister was received by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud) and held a working meeting with the country’s Defence Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud (Khalid bin Salman Al Saud).
At the meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince, the Ministry of National Defence said, discussions focused on strategic cooperation between Greece and Saudi Arabia, regional security and challenges to stability in the wider region.
The Crown Prince, for his part, expressed his thanks for the Greek military presence and the contribution of the Patriot battery (Hellenic Force in Saudi Arabia – ELDYSA) to Saudi Arabia’s defence.
At the meeting with the Saudi Defence Minister, the two sides exchanged views on further strengthening strategic cooperation between the countries’ armed forces and considered issues of mutual interest relating to defence innovation.
The Saudi minister also reiterated his thanks for the presence of the Greek Patriot battery in the country.
SOURCE: AMNA