Dubai Ruler attends Northern Thunder exercise in Saudi - in pictures

Warplanes roared overhead, tanks rumbled across the desert and smoke filled the sky on Thursday during the final stage of what Saudi Arabia said were the region’s biggest ever military exercises. Fayez Nureldine / AFP Photo

Nearly 350,000 troops from 20 nations in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, including the UAE, took part in the last day of the so-called “Northern Thunder” manoeuvres. The exercises, which took place in the desert near to the Kuwaiti and Iraq borders, began 12 days ago. Fayez Nureldine / AFP Photo @Caption:The training focused on how to coordinate combat operations and guerrilla warfare tactics among the Muslim-majority countries that are members of a larger counter-terrorism alliance announced by Riyadh in December. Fayez Nureldine / AFP Photo

The training focused on how to coordinate combat operations and guerrilla warfare tactics among the Muslim-majority countries that are members of a larger counter-terrorism alliance announced by Riyadh in December. Fayez Nureldine / AFP Photo

@Caption:An aircraft drops paratroopers during the Northern Thunder exercises. Abedullah Al Desori / Reuters

@Caption:Smoke and fire billows following an aerial bombardment. Fayez Nureldine / AFP Photo

Taking place near Hafr Al Batin city in northeastern Saudi Arabia, the manoeuvres are the “most important and largest in the region’s history”, according to Saudi authorities. Fayez Nureldine / AFP Photo

A two-hour mock battle featuring fighter jets, attack helicopters and tanks was among the final exercises, which Saudi Arabia has described as a show of regional unity. Fayez Nureldine / AFP Photo

Saudi Arabia is leading a mainly Arab coalition fighting rebels in Yemen, is taking part in US-led air strikes against ISIL and has offered to send special forces to fight the extremist group in Syria. Fayez Nureldine / AFP Photo

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, joined Saudi Arabia’s King Salman to attend the conclusion of the manoeuvres. Other regional leaders, including Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Sudanese president Omar Al Bashir and Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif, were also present.

RIYADH, 10th March, 2016 (WAM) -- His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, alongside a number of defence leaders and officials from allied countries, today witnessed the conclusion of the Northern Thunder Exercise, which began on February 14th, near King Khaled Military City in northeastern Saudi Arabia. Photo by WAM

Sheikh Mohammed praised the expertise of the UAE troops who participated in the air, land and sea exercises.

“This group of our armed forces enjoy the advantages of combat and military skills, and morale is very high. They are the vanguard against challenges, no matter how hard, which have increased the threat to peace and to regional and international security.” Photo by WAM

He also praised the skills of the other armies taking part, and expressed his confidence that all involved would achieve military superiority. Photo by WAM

“One victory is not enough to defeat and root out terrorism because it would be temporary, whereas superiority lasts forever and that is what we plan to do as leaders in the UAE, to achieve superiority on many levels and in all fields of military, developmental, humanitarian, political and economic," said Sheikh Mohammed.Photo by WAM

Warplanes roared overhead, tanks rumbled across the desert and smoke filled the sky on Thursday during the final stage of what Saudi Arabia said were the region’s biggest ever military exercises.