Italy’s Chief of Defence, Gen. Luciano Portolano, travelled to Saudi Arabia to attend the 2nd Italy–Saudi Joint Consultative Committee (JCC), the main bilateral forum for defence, armaments and military-industrial cooperation.
What happened: Portolano met his Saudi counterpart, Gen. Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaily, for talks focused on:
- Regional security dynamics in the Middle East
- De-escalation efforts amid multiple overlapping crises
- Strengthening a strategic defence partnership in a volatile region.
The agenda: Discussions covered key flashpoints requiring urgent stabilisation efforts:
- Gaza
- Lebanon
- Sudan
- Yemen
- The Red Sea
Both sides framed these theatres as interconnected within the broader MENA security environment – a shared geostrategic area of common interests, with a central focus on the growing concern for maritime security and freedom of navigation.
What they agreed on: Italy and Saudi Arabia committed to expanding joint military exercises and training activities and increasing the exchange of personnel at military education and training institutions.
- On industry and technology: Portolano highlighted the political value of Government-to-Government (GtoG) initiatives, noting Saudi interest in cooperation:
- across all operational domains;
- with a specific focus on space and cyber;
- alongside new opportunities in technological innovation, research and know-how sharing.
By the numbers: According to Italian defence officials, the JCC has already delivered 80% of planned cooperative activities, a record level of implementation in bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries.
Between the lines: Portolano’s visit builds on the strategic trajectory set by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani’s November mission to Riyadh, which followed the elevation of Italy–Saudi relations to a full strategic partnership, formalised during Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s earlier visit.
- While Tajani focused on energy, infrastructure, culture, and IMEC connectivity, the defence track adds a security backbone to the relationship — signalling that Rome sees Saudi Arabia not just as an economic partner, but also as a regional stabilisation actor and a strategic node linking Europe, the Gulf, and the Indo-Mediterranean.
Zoom out: The JCC is becoming a central tool to align Italy’s defence posture — from military cooperation to industrial localisation and advanced technologies — with Saudi Arabia’s long-term priorities under Vision 2030, while anchoring Rome more firmly in Gulf and Red Sea security dynamics.
What we’re watching:
- Follow-on joint exercises
- Deeper cyber and space cooperation
- Dxpanded defence-industrial projects under GtoG frameworks
- Tighter Italy–Saudi coordination on the Red Sea and regional maritime security.
(Photo: X, @SMD_Difesa)
