The General Directorate of Border Guards has announced a range of new measures to improve border security. Under the new plan Border Guards personnel will be equipped with radars, cameras and marine sensors to detect ships. The announcement comes as work on the northern border security fence is almost complete. Another security fence will be installed along the southern border. Lt. Gen. Zameem Al-Siwat, Director of Border Guards, said the security fences built along the 890-km northern border will prevent anyone from sneaking in or out and any type of smuggling. As for the southern border, multiple-task radars, visual cameras, laser search machines and marine sensors will be installed. He also revealed that the Border Guards' fifth airport has been built in the Empty Quarter and more airports will be built to support the force's personnel. The airports will facilitate medical evacuation and other logistic procedures, he said. The official also announced that the General Directorate of Border Guards has signed a contract with an aviation school in North Dakota, United States, to train 30 pilots over a period of three years. Upon completion of their training the graduates will help their colleagues protect the borders. The training is part of a long-term strategy to train personnel, improve their performance and upgrade security capabilities to keep up with advanced technology and protect Kingdom's land and sea borders. Lt. Gen. Al-Siwat praised King Abdullah for his close attention to border security. He said: “Border Guards has full control over the Kingdom's borders, thanks to the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.” __
