The Interior Ministry has set up and deployed units to protect crude oil and related assets throughout the kingdom. The new units, meant to comprise thousands of troops, were said to have been trained by foreign security officers.

Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz disclosed the special security units on July 1 during a briefing to the Shura Council. Nayef said the oil protection units were required amid the threat by Al Qaida and related insurgency networks.

[On Tuesday, the defense ministers, foreign ministers and intelligence chiefs of the six Gulf Cooperation Council states met in Riyad. The meeting was meant to focus on the deterioration in regional security amid the threat from Iran.]

The interior minister said the first units of the new force would be deployed to protect oil infrastructure. He did not elaborate.

Al Qaida has threatened to strike Saudi oil and natural gas installations. In February 2006, Saudi security forces battled an Al Qaida squad that tried to blow up the Abqaiq oil refinery.

Nayef said Abqaiq was one of 180 Al Qaida operations foiled by Saudi security forces since 2003. The interior minister said the kingdom would have faced "catastrophe" had 10 percent of the plots succeeded.