Saudi Arabia’s “Istijaba 25” drill to test oil spill and hazardous material response under IMO environmental standards

An official statement released within the past day confirms that the “Istijaba 25” national exercise will begin in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region and will concentrate on combating oil and hazardous material spills in the kingdom’s territorial waters. The operation gathers 51 participating entities, including the coast guard, port authorities, energy companies, environmental agencies and other relevant institutions. Scenario planning reportedly takes into account the risk of large-scale incidents involving tankers and industrial facilities, as well as the need for rapid coordination between civilian and military actors in case of a major spill threatening shipping lanes and coastal infrastructure.