Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Army, General Rodolph Haykal, at the World Defense Exhibition in Saudi Arabia. (Credit: Photo released by the Lebanese Army)
BEIRUT — The commander-in-chief of the Lebanese Army, General Rodolph Haykal, visited Saudi Arabia on Feb. 8 and 9, two days after his official trip to the United States, the army said Tuesday.
According to the military institution, General Haykal responded to the invitation of his Saudi counterpart to attend the World Defense Show organized by the General Authority for Military Industries, under the patronage of King Salman.
During his stay, General Haykal met with his Saudi counterpart and discussed cooperation prospects between the Lebanese and Saudi armies in preparation for the conference on supporting the army, scheduled for March 5 in Paris.
This conference was announced in mid-January by the presidency, following a meeting in Baabda with the ambassadors and envoys of the Quintet, including French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian and the adviser to the Saudi Foreign Minister, Yazid bin Farhan.
"Both parties also stressed the need to support the military institution on all levels, due to its role in maintaining security and stability in Lebanon, as well as in extending the authority of the state over the entire national territory, alongside the fight against terrorism and the prevention of drug trafficking and smuggling," the army added.
Drug trafficking has already harmed relations between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia in the past. The kingdom suspended trade with Lebanon in 2021, when Saudi authorities banned the import of fruits and vegetables from Lebanon after intercepting several shipments containing Captagon, a synthetic drug.
Following efforts by Lebanese authorities to combat drug trafficking, and with the help of the new Syrian authorities close to Saudi Arabia (after the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024), the kingdom has recently promised to strengthen its trade ties with Lebanon again.
General Haykal also visited the Lebanese Embassy in Riyadh, where he was welcomed by Ambassador Ali Karanouh and met with members of the Lebanese community. He expressed his gratitude to the Saudi kingdom for its support of the army and Lebanon in the face of current challenges.
Haykal returned Friday from an official visit to the United States, where he discussed progress on disarming Hezbollah and other militias active in Lebanon.
During this trip, he was criticized by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who denounced what he called "virtually nonexistent efforts" to disarm Hezbollah.
General Haykal is expected to present in February his vision for implementing the second phase of the plan aimed at establishing a state monopoly on weapons, while Hezbollah still refuses to hand over its arsenal north of the Litani River.
At the same time, Israel continues its daily strikes, mainly in southern Lebanon and sometimes in the Bekaa, in violation of the cease-fire agreement concluded in November 2024.
