Saudi forces are on permanent alert along the Northern Border, a Border Guard spokesman confirmed recently, adding that there are no threats as of now along the Saudi-Iraqi border in the aftermath of the Arar attack.

Maj. Gen. Mohammed Al-Ghamdi, Border Guard media liaison, said security patrols arrested a group of people who attempted to infiltrate the Northern Border last year. All involved individuals were imprisoned and fined, he confirmed.

According to Al-Ghamdi, sanctions are strictly applied regardless of the cause and motive behind attempts to violate border laws.

As part of the initiative to consolidate security in the other borders, Al-Ghamdi explained that work is successfully ongoing along the southern borders with Yemen. The first phase of the project, which covers 900 km in the northern region, has been completed, making it the largest border project in the world, he said.

Construction along the Saudi-Iraqi border includes the cities of Turaif, Arar, Rafhaa, Al-Shoaiba and Hafar Al-Batin, where the border will be protected with two dirt fences reinforced with sensor towers, as well as UV cameras linked via fiber-optic technology to eight command and control centers.

Over 32 response centers equipped with three teams prepared for rapid intervention will monitor the borders constantly, Al-Ghamdi said, as well as 38 front and rear gates equipped with surveillance cameras, 78 communications and watch towers, 50 cameras and 10 surveillance and reconnaissance vehicles. About 3,397 trainees are currently being prepared by 60 trainers to carry out security operations along the borders.

According to Al-Ghamdi, the border security project in the northern region also includes training center for officers and personnel where they will prepare via simulations, field trainings and workshops.

Administrative, educational, health and recreational facilities will be included in the training centers, in addition to an intelligence center and a prison.

To top this, three residential compounds with 630 housing units, shopping centers, mosques, schools, health centers, desalination plants, sports centers and playgrounds for children will be available as well, Al-Ghamdi added.