From Jordan to Qatar, Defence studies new hubs in the Middle East
Discussion continues on the creation of an Italian military logistics hub in Qatar
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Defence is studying new hubs in the Middle East. The first clue dates back to last September, when in a note taking stock of a trip to the area by the then Chief of Staff, Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, it was explained that Jordan had given Italy the go-ahead for the placement of a national special forces hub in the country.
The second clue is more recent, and came out at the end of the bilateral meeting between Italy and Qatar, which took place in Rome on 21 October. The joint statement signed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in the context of the Qatari leader's state visit to Italy, speaks of 'a commitment to deepen our strategic partnership on defence issues, both at military and industrial level' and highlights 'the willingness to explore new ways of collaboration, continuing the discussion on the creation of an Italian military logistics pole in Qatar'.
In Jordan, an Italian special forces hub
.Meeting his Jordanian counterpart, General Al-Hnaity, on the occasion of that visit, Admiral Cavo Dragone wished to "thank the Italian Defence for its willingness to locate a national special forces hub in Jordan, capable of logistically and operationally supporting the various sector efforts in the region". In Jordan, in Amman, there is the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Centre (KASOTC), a training facility for special operations. We are talking about training for counter-terrorism operations and urban conflicts.
Meloni-al Thani, forward on Italian military hub in Qatar
Jordan, but not only. "We underline our commitment to deepening our strategic partnership on defence issues, both at the military and industrial levels," Meloni and Al-Thani said in a joint statement signed during the bilateral. In particular, by leveraging frequent exchanges of visits and joint training programmes and activities, we express our willingness to explore new ways of cooperation, continuing discussions on the establishment of an Italian military logistics hub in Qatar and promoting the coordination of exports to the region'.
