Exercise 'Raad al-Shamal' (North Thunder), which began in northern Saudi Arabia on 14 February, has been billed as the largest exercise ever held in the Middle East. Some press reports have claimed that 350,000 soldiers have gathered in the north of the kingdom, prompting speculation the manoeuvres are covering a Saudi-led military intervention in Syria.
The exercise's official Dira al-Watan (Nation Shield) media channel has not stated how many personnel are involved, but judging by its media releases, the exercise is a modest affair compared to 'Bright Star 2000', which was held in Egypt in 1999 and involved around 73,000 troops from 11 countries.
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