In brief
Saudi Arabia’s defense chief reached out to Japan’s Shinjiro Koizumi on Nov. 2 2026 in a call that lauded current cooperation and demanded stronger collaboration. The dialogue also denounced the Houthi militia’s attacks on Saudi territory as “terrorist” actions and underscored a joint focus on regional security. An Arab‑Times snippet noted a forum that brought senior officials from both nations together to discuss regional security, though the page now returns 404.
On Nov. 2 2026, Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman held a phone call with Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi to praise existing defense cooperation and discuss ways to strengthen it, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The call also condemned the Houthi militia’s attacks against Saudi Arabia, which SPA described as “terrorist” actions and emphasized the importance of supporting efforts to achieve regional security and stability.
During the conversation, which took place at 06:10 local time, the two ministers reiterated a commitment to closer partnership and underscored the shared goal of safeguarding the region from hostile threats. SPA highlighted the call as an example of Riyadh’s diplomatic outreach to Tokyo amid ongoing security concerns.
An unrelated Arab Times snippet noted that “the forum brought together senior officials, military leaders and decision-makers from around the world to discuss regional security,” suggesting a broader context for the dialogue, though the page now returns a 404 error and the details remain unverified.
