Spain and Saudi Arabia strengthen their strategic alliance by signing a Comprehensive Security Training Plan

The Minister for Home Affairs, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and his Saudi counterpart, Abdulaziz Bin Saud Bin Naif Bin Abdulaziz, have signed an agreement in Madrid to develop joint training programmes and educational exchanges in the field of security.

"The development of a comprehensive training plan will enable us to be stronger, more effective and better prepared to protect our citizens, and thus provide the best possible response to the needs of our societies", said Grande-Marlaska at the end of the meeting, held at the Ministry of Home Affairs headquarters.

The agreement covers training in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, border management, prison security and the application of artificial intelligence and new technologies to the security sector.

In the context of this collaboration, the minister recalled the meeting he had on 22 June in Madrid with Abdulmajeed bin Abdullah Al-Bunyan, president of the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS), "a leading educational institution in the field of security sciences, not only in the Arab world but also internationally", he added.

Grande-Marlaska highlighted the "strong relationship" between Spain and Saudi Arabia, which was cemented on 13 May with the signing of the strategic partnership agreement by the foreign ministers of both countries. The minister pledged to continue strengthening these "excellent relations" and to work on "shared challenges" - such as the fight against terrorism, cybercrime, drug trafficking and human trafficking and irregular immigration networks - "as well as against modern forms of criminality, such as money laundering via new technologies, cyberattacks and hybrid threats", he concluded.

During the meeting, Grande-Marlaska praised the Saudi government's "prudent and responsible" stance within the current political context in the Middle East, stemming from "unjustified and indiscriminate" attacks against the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. "We appreciate Riyadh's position regarding this war, which it did not choose, and its unwavering commitment to dialogue and lasting diplomatic solutions", the Home Affairs Minister added.

The meeting is the second between Grande-Marlaska and his Saudi counterpart. The minister travelled to Saudi Arabia on 26 and 27 November 2025 to sign a roadmap strengthening bilateral cooperation on security matters. The Spanish delegation also visited the National Security Operations Centre.

Visits to the National Police and the Civil Guard

The Saudi delegation will continue its stay in Madrid with a visit to the Directorate-General of the Civil Guard, where they will view a static display of equipment and capabilities from the Special Operational Intervention Unit, the Air and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) services, as well as road safety units and the Nature Protection Service. The Saudi minister will then attend a briefing at the National Operations and Command Centre and the Maritime Surveillance Coordination Centre.

The trip will continue with a visit to the National Police, which will take place at the Riyadh Air Metropolitan Stadium. Units involved in the security operation for a major sporting event, such as the TEDAX unit, the dog handlers, the underground unit, the environmental unit and the police air unit, will conduct a demonstration. Later, inside the stadium, they will visit the Organisational Control Unit, which is responsible for ensuring perimeter and internal security at the sports venue.

Non official translation