RIYADH: The North Thunder drill was a “massive success” that helped crystallize regional strategic plans under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, said Husam Zaman, director general of UNESCO Regional Center of Quality and Excellence in Education, on Monday.

He congratulated King Salman for the huge success of the military exercise in which armed forces from 20 Arab and Islamic countries took part.

“This Arab and Islamic coalition, under the leadership of Saudi Arabia, gave clearly and explicitly a message of unity and power among them,” Zaman told Arab News. He added that such efforts crystallize a developmental strategic project led by the Kingdom in order to maintain safety and stability and achieve prosperity for our nations.

Zaman said the presence of a great number of Islamic and Arab leaders “further reflects that our nations stand united with deterrent power to face any regional and international challenges.”

Such a great power is completely ready to eliminate terrorists, their criminal plans and their regional and international partners, Zaman said.

He said Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of King Salman, calls for world peace at all times. He added that such peace would be achieved and maintained by a fair power.

The continuity of such power is based on wise policies that preserve common interests and achieve sustainable development in the region, he added.

A large number of heads of state joined King Salman last Wednesday in Hafr Al-Batin for the final maneuvers of North Thunder, aimed at ensuring the combat readiness of the Kingdom and its allies with the firm objective of preparing the allied forces to counter those wanting to destabilize the region.

Notably, the maneuvers involved 2,500 warplanes, 20,000 tanks and 350,000 troops, making it the second-largest gathering of forces in the history of the region since operation Desert Storm.