Maj. Gen. Awad Al-Balawi

Maj. Gen. Awad Al-Balawi, head of the Saudi Border Guard, recently confirmed the expansion of the employment program for women within the border security sector.

He said that the sector is entering a new phase as women will be employed in a number of new departments, after previously only being employed as inspectors.

“The Border Guard sector will launch three specialized training courses for females so that they can meet the employment requirements,” he was quoted as saying by local media.

Al-Balawi said that these new measures will be taken after first being approved by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior. “This move will boost and advance the high level of quality in the sector, making it more developed,” he said.

Al-Balawi said that the technology used by the Border Guard is being continuously developed. “New radars and modern devices have already been installed in the north of the Kingdom, and will cover the area from the Arabian Gulf to the Aqaba Gulf. Additionally, an integrated land and sea surveillance system will be installed, with its central command based in Riyadh.”

He said the first new vessels to join the Border Guard fleet will arrive soon and will be deployed along all of the coasts of Saudi Arabia. “The threats to security are different nowadays. In the past, infiltrators penetrated the borders, but now it’s all about terrorists and smugglers with weapons, who immediately open fire if discovered,” he said.

Regarding the goal of the Mohammed bin Naif Academy for Security and Marine Science Studies, Al-Balawi said that it is to develop the institution as a world class academy, making it one of the best in the world.

He also commented on the exercise being conducted at the academy by the Standing National Committee to handle marine disasters in the regional waters of the Kingdom, which is being implemented by the sub-committee for the Red Sea and Aqaba Gulf.

“There are eight members of different official bodies evaluating the scientific and practical aspects of the exercise at present. These actors will submit the results to the standing committee to approve what is needed in order to develop our plans and capabilities,” he said.

He said the drill involves the hypothetical existence of a bomb on a vessel, and requires the students to deal with the issue. It will boost the readiness of the Border Guard to save all human elements boarding the vessel without disregarding the security aspect, he said.

Al-Balawi said the academy is equipped with high-level educational tools, and will accommodate increasing numbers of students in the disciplines of security and marine sciences with the intention of having them work as staff after graduation.

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