Saudi king launches first phase of border security project

Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, in the presence of Bahraini King Hamad bin Issa, inaugurated on Friday the first phase of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ project for border security.

The border security project includes 3,397 trainees, 60 trainers to supervise operations, eight command and control centers, 32 interrogation centers, three rapid response units as well as 38 back and front gates with surveillance cameras.

The project includes 78 communication and surveillance towers, 38 of the former and 40 of the latter, and is equipped with 85 surveillance posts, 50 day-and-night surveillance cameras, 10 monitoring and surveillance vehicles, a 1.4-million meter fiber optics networks, 50 radars, five 900 kilometer security fences, in addition to other barriers that have helped drop the number of infiltrators, drug traffickers, as well as arms and cattle smugglers to zero.

Moreover, the training center for officers and personnel in Arar includes simulation, administrative, educational, health and entertainment facilities.

In addition to that, four complexes were built to oversee the different sections, namely Tarif, Rafha, al-Uqayqilah and Hafar al-Batin. These complexes will include administrative, educational, health and entertainment facilities, in addition to the building of the intelligence and a prison.

Three residential complexes were also built in Hafar al-Batin, Rafha and Tarif, including 630 residential units, shopping centers, mosques, schools, hospitals, distillation plants, sports centers and playgrounds for children.

At his palace in Jeddah, King Abdullah watched with the Bahraini king a documentary tracing the project’s several phases. Interior Minister Prince Mohammad bin Naif bin Abdulaziz also briefed the Saudi king about the project using model replicas.