US to deploy Patriot battery, 200 support personnel to Saudi Arabia
September 27, 2019, 8:59 am

US to deploy Patriot battery, 200 support personnel to Saudi Arabia

Prepare To Deploy Orders will also include two Patriot batteries and one Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD). (File photo Reuters)

The United States will be deploying a Patriot battery, four Sentinel RADARs, and nearly 200 support personnel to Saudi Arabia in response to the recent attack on Saudi Aramco oil facilities, the US Department of Defense confirmed in a statement.

“In light of recent attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and at their invitation, Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper announced today that the U.S. would deploy the following equipment to the kingdom: One Patriot Battery, Four Sentinel RADARs, and approximately 200 support personnel,” Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement.

“This deployment will augment the kingdom's air and missile defense of critical military and civilian infrastructure. This deployment augments an already significant presence of U.S. forces in the region,” the spokesperson added.

The deployment details clarify the Pentagon's Friday announcement about U.S. plans to deploy more forces to Saudi Arabia after the Sept. 14 attack on the world's biggest crude oil processing facility, which Washington has blamed on Iran.

The statement said Esper also approved placing additional forces on Prepare To Deploy Orders (PTDO).

“While no decision has been made to deploy these additional forces, they will maintain a heightened state of readiness,” Hoffman said.

Those PTDO orders will include two Patriot batteries and one Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD).

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”