Riyadh the national exercise "istijaba 25" (response 25):iyadh The national exercise "Istijaba 25" (Response 25), focused on combating oil and hazardous material spills in Saudi territorial waters, will begin tomorrow in Eastern Region with the participation of 51 government and private entities. The exercise aims to enhance readiness and integration among participating entities and assess the capabilities of national personnel in responding to such incidents.

According to Saudi Press Agency, Official Spokesperson for the exercise Saad Al-Mutrafi said Eastern Region was selected in accordance with the schedule for conducting exercises across Saudi Arabia's coastal regions. He noted that the primary objective is to test the effectiveness of the national response ecosystem, evaluate the efficiency of coordination and information exchange, and enhance preparedness for oil spill response operations.

Al-Mutrafi said the operations room will begin its work tomorrow in Dammam. Under the exercise scenario, operations will be conducted across the Kingdom's territorial waters, King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, and the shores of Tarout Island, in cooperation with the Darin and Tarout Island Development Corporation.

The field exercise will assess participating entities' capabilities to protect ecosystems, vital economic activities, and coastal communities through national procedures and plans, reinforcing environmental and economic security.

Al-Mutrafi noted that the National Center for Environmental Compliance will lead the exercise in line with the national plan's structure. Operational scenarios simulating actual conditions and various emergency situations will be used to evaluate coordination and integration among participating entities and enhance overall readiness.