Saudi Arabia has officially asked Greece to extend the stay of its military personnel in the kingdom. We are talking about the mission of the Greek armed forces in Saudi Arabia, known as ELDYSA (Hellenic Armed Forces in Saudi Arabia), which can be extended until November 2026.
The central element of the mission is the Greek Patriot missile battery deployed as part of Saudi Arabia's long-range air defense system. This system plays a key role in protecting the kingdom's strategically important facilities from aerial threats, including ballistic missiles, drones, and cruise missiles.
Negotiations on cooperation between the two countries began in 2019 at the technical level and subsequently moved to the diplomatic plane. An official memorandum of understanding detailing the terms of deployment was signed in April 2021. Already in September of the same year, ELDYSA soldiers were transferred from the military base in Tanagra (Greece) to the territory of Saudi Arabia.
The extension of the mission until 2026 demonstrates a high assessment of the effectiveness of Greek specialists and the strengthening of bilateral defense cooperation. For Greece, such a mission is also of strategic importance, expanding its international military presence and strengthening partnerships with key players in the region.
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