Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the US, met with executives of Lockheed Martin's Missiles and Fire Control (MFC) in Texas to discuss priorities between the Kingdom and Lockheed Martin.

"Our relationship with Lockheed Martin extends more than 50 years and they are an important partner in supporting Saudi Arabia's technological development," said Prince Khalid. "The presence of US defence companies in Saudi Arabia is fundamental to the establishment of a localized defence industry within the Kingdom and we are grateful for their support in building a secure and economically diverse Saudi Arabia."

The Saudi Vision 2030 plan directs efforts to bring defence development and manufacturing to the Kingdom as part of a broader goal of moving the nation's economy beyond oil. In May 2017, Lockheed Martin and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced programs that when fully realized will support thousands of highly skilled jobs in the US and Saudi Arabia and help the Saudi government's objective of building its domestic technology capabilities and skilled workforce.

"Lockheed Martin is honoured to host Prince Khalid in Dallas during his first official tour of the United States," said Rick Edwards, executive vice president, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "His visit provided a key opportunity to reaffirm Lockheed Martin's strategic partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as well as our commitment to Vision 2030, following the historic agreements announced back in May. We discussed a wide range of capabilities and how to enhance our relationship in a number of key areas going forward."

Prince Khalid also received an overview of Lockheed Martin's activities in the Kingdom and a tour while at the facility.

Prince Khalid's visit to Lockheed Martin in Texas is part of his first US tour as Ambassador. He has also visited Nevada's Nellis Air Force Base, San Francisco and Dallas, and will visit Los Angeles and St. Louis. - TradeArabia News Service