The preparatory meeting for the 29th Symposium of Arab Armed Forces Training Chiefs commenced today, Sunday, at the headquarters of the Arab League General Secretariat in Cairo, under Tunisia's chairmanship and with the participation of the State of Kuwait.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Khalil Al-Thawadi, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of Arab Affairs and National Security at the Arab League, expressed appreciation for the ongoing efforts to organize these symposiums which significantly benefit Arab armed forces personnel, thereby enhancing cooperation and coordination among them.

Al-Thawadi praised the symposium's focus on the role of self-directed learning in developing future military capabilities and its impact on operations and training amid technological acceleration and increasingly complex security environments.

He emphasized that "self-directed learning has become a fundamental pillar for enhancing military readiness, enabling armed forces to keep pace with current and future developments. It represents an independent educational process where individuals utilize diverse resources such as books and e-courses to acquire military skills and knowledge, forming a comprehensive strategy to build forces capable of adapting to future challenges."

He added, "Self-directed learning has become a strategic necessity for modern armies, as the complexities of future combat environments require institutional capacity for innovation through continuous learning. The result is more agile, efficient armed forces capable of confronting challenges with renewable skills."

Al-Thawadi noted the special significance of this symposium's theme due to its importance, novelty, and achievable objectives - including unifying military methodologies, strategic and operational planning, leveraging Arab armies' human capital, and addressing various challenges to enhance military competencies and develop Arab armed forces.

He clarified that among the key objectives of these symposiums is preparing guidance studies to enhance the capabilities of training leaders, facilitating continuous research to develop methods and skills for armed forces personnel and military college students across all domains.

The meeting, which continues until July 10, discusses self-directed learning's role in developing future military capabilities and its operational/training impacts, aiming to prepare a study for submission to the upcoming November meeting of Arab Armed Forces Training Chiefs.

The Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense is participating with a delegation headed by Colonel Staff Mohammad Al-Asousi, Chief of Courses Branch at the Higher Military Education Authority, and including Major Staff Turki Al-Mutairi and Captain Abdulrahman Al-Jafnawi.