Saudi armed forces ended on April 29 what was considered their largest military exercises in recent history. They included the broad participation of all military and security sectors affiliated with the ministries of defense, interior and national guard.

Al-Riyadh newspaper said that the maneuvers sent a strong message that the kingdom and its army are ready and capable to respond to any national security threat in light of the challenges, instability and unrest in the surrounding countries.

Saudi Arabia considers the events in the Arab world for the past three years as disorder and chaos that are aimed at the stability of the countries in the region and threaten their security. Confronting these changes will be based on security and military measures: security measures to deal with the internal situation and military measures to deal with potential external threats. And this is accomplished by increased arms spending and training for the military forces.

Saudi Arabia is facing three fronts that may represent a serious threat to its national security: Syria, Iraq and Yemen. In Syria, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) is a potential threat. This group includes Saudis and so-called “immigrants” from many countries, and has several thousand members. The pressure and the encirclement against ISIS in Syria and Iraq may push its fighters north toward Turkey or south toward Saudi Arabia.