Saudi Grand Mufti calls for compulsory military service

Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh called Friday for the introduction of mandatory military service for young men to prepare them to defend the Kingdom at any time, Saudi-based news website Akhbaar24 reported.

“Compulsory military service for our youth is important and required to ensure that our strength is not unbeatable,” the Grand Mufti, who is the highest religious figure in Saudi Arabia, said in Riyadh.

The comments, which were made during Friday's prayer sermon, come just two weeks after Saudi Arabia launched an offensive in Yemen to help the government counter Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

Young Saudis “must be ready and armed at all times to resist any demon,” he said.

“We must prepare our youth the proper way so that they become our shield for jihad in the service God against enemies of the religion and the nation,” he added.

During his sermon, the Mufti also said that Saudi Arabia is blessed to live in safe environment and that “in return of this blessing, young [Saudis] must be constantly ready to defend the religion and the nation through their compulsory military trainings.”

Gulf countries, led by Saudi Arabia, are currently conducting air strikes in Yemen to help the government to counter Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

The regional bloc members are also part of a U.S.-led coalition that is conducting air strikes in Iraq and Syria against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).