UK Defence Senior Advisor concludes first visit to Kuwait

• Vice Admiral Edward Ahlgren OBE MA, the United Kingdom’s Defence Senior Advisor to the Middle East, said “Defence collaboration is a cornerstone of the UK and Kuwait’s long-standing friendship, and I am incredibly grateful for the warm welcome that has been afforded to me on my first visit here as DSAME.”

Vice Admiral Edward Ahlgren OBE MA, the United Kingdom’s Defence Senior Advisor to the Middle East (DSAME), has wrapped up his two-day visit to Kuwait, marking his first since being appointed to the role in February 2024.

Ahlgren met with a number of senior Kuwaiti officials, including: the Undersecretary of the Kuwait Ministry of Defence, Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Meshal Mubarak Al-Sabah; the Assistant Undersecretary for Foreign Procurement, Sheikha Dr. Shamail Al-Sabah; the Acting Chief of the Armament and Procurement Authority, Brigadier General Sheikh Khalifah Al-Sabah; the Commander of Air Defence, Major General Khaled SaadAl-Shriaan; a representative of the Acting Commander of the Kuwait Land Force; the Commander of the Kuwait Air Force, Brigadier General Mohammed Al-Hamdan; the Assistant Commander of the Kuwait Naval Force and representative of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Major General Saif Al-Hamlan; the Director General of the Kuwait Coast Guard, Commodore Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah; and the Undersecretary of the Kuwait National Guard, Lieutenant General Hashem Al-Refae, as well as UK service personnel based at Camp Arifjan.

Praising the strength of the UK and Kuwait’s long-standing defence partnership and its importance to mutual security and prosperity, Ahlgren discussed several areas with significant potential for expanding collaboration, which include, military education, with Kuwaiti, GCC, and Allied students attending the Mubarak Al-Abdullah Joint Command and Staff College—the only UK-accredited Staff College in the Middle East—and over one hundred Kuwaiti military officers attending courses at the UK’s world-leading military academies and colleges this year; joint training and exercises, with January’s Exercise Desert Warrior set to follow the success of November’s Exercise Iron Shield 2, providing British and Kuwaiti troops another opportunity to test their shared readiness to counter a range of threats; and defenceprocurement, with the UK and Kuwait—having finalized a government-to-government procurement mechanism last summer—currently reviewing a number of potential deals to provide Kuwait with access to cutting-edge military equipment and technologies.

Reflecting on his visit, Vice Admiral Ahlgren said that“Defence collaboration is a cornerstone of the UK and Kuwait’s long-standing friendship, and I am incredibly grateful for the warm welcome that has been afforded to me on my first visit here as DSAME. Last year saw us take significant steps to progress our partnership, and I leave Kuwait excited about the opportunities to continue expanding collaboration throughout 2025 and beyond.

126th year of formal diplomatic relations

UK Defence Attaché, Captain Neil Marriott (Royal Navy), stated that, “The visit of DSAME to Kuwait was important for strengthening the defence and security partnership and discussing areas that will enhance our mutual security.”

“We are truly grateful to the Kuwait Ministry of Defenceand Armed Forces for their support, openness, and show of friendship offered to DSAME during his visit, kicking off our 126th year of formal diplomatic relations in a really positive way,” Marriott added.