The two countries signed an agreement whereby the German army will train Saudi Arabian military personnel in Germany. Concerning the deal, Merkel said: “We cannot have German soldiers anywhere in the world, but we can very well pass on our know-how.” In addition, the German and Saudi governments also signed a joint declaration of intent for future police cooperation.

With the project “Vision 2030,” Saudi Arabia hopes to build up its own arms industry and infrastructure to then be independent of German weapon imports.