Saudi Denies Reports of Sweden Arms Plant

Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry has denied reports that Sweden has built a weapons factory in the Kingdom, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

“The Ministry of Defence stressed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has not signed in the past any agreement with the Kingdom of Sweden for implementing a project of this nature, nor is there any project in such a field now,” SPA said.

Late last month, Sweden’s defence minister Sten Tolgfors resigned weeks after local radio reports alleged that he was aware about Swedish military plans to assist Saudi Arabia with an arms plant.

The reports claimed that while the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) had co-operated with the Kingdom since 2005, construction on “Project Simoom” was yet to begin. The project “pushes the boundaries of what is possible for a Swedish authority,” the radio reported.

Officials denied the report.

“We do not have a project agreement with that country,” Jan-Olof Lind, FOI’s director general, told the radio station.