:: The German Embassy on Thursday announced that the first seven cadets of the Royal Saudi Land Forces and the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces have started their military training in German Armed Forces facilities this week.

German Ambassador Dieter W. Haller told Arab News that the seven cadets left the Kingdom early this month for their training which will five to six years.

Their training includes a one-year language course and a bachelor’s degree at one of the two universities of the German Armed Forces in Munich or Hamburg.

“With this new program, we add a substantial new element to the security cooperation between our two countries,” Ambassador Haller told Arab News.

The Saudi cadets will spend the first phase of their training in the German Armed Forces Language Academy in Cologne in the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The German envoy added that “we look forward to continuously expand the training program in the future.”

The training of Saudi cadets in the facilities of the German Armed Forces was agreed upon by the Kingdom and Germany in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed during the visit of Chancellor Angela Merkel to Jeddah on April 30, 2017 in the presence of King Salman.

Ambassador Haller added that 14 German experts from the German Federal Police are currently in the Kingdom to conduct various training courses with the Saudi Border Police.

He said that this is done in close cooperation with the Saudi Ministry of Interior.

“Both measures underline our willingness to expand security cooperation with the Kingdom,” the German ambassador said.

Meanwhile, he added that a medical specialist training for Saudi doctors at the prestigious Charite hospital in Berlin is preparing for its fourth intake of participants.

He said that between 10 to 15 Saudi doctors will have the chance to study and work for six to seven years at the hospital in Berlin beginning in September this year.