SAUDI ARABIAN military pilots are being trained at RAF Valley on Anglesey.

The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) are currently in the headlines over the disappearance and death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi who was reportedly killed in Istanbul on October 2.

According to a Ministry of Defence spokesperson, Britain has frequently worked alongside Royal Saudi Air Force in the past and the training of engineers and air crew to fly Hawk jets is part of that deal.

"The UK has a long standing military relationship with the RSAF," A spokesperson for the MOD said. "This includes the training of both Ground and Aircrew in basic and advanced engineering and aviation practices."

More than 100 Saudi pilots have been trained at RAF bases around the UK over the past decade - including around 30 at Valley.

However, some have questioned the potential security threat that their presence could have on north Wales.

Defence minister Mark Lancaster quashed those concerns, saying: "The RAF Police, together with RAF Valley authorities, maintains routine contact with the North Wales Police regarding this matter.

"The current assessment is that there is a negligible potential security risk to North Wales associated with training Saudi pilots at RAF Valley so there have been no specific discussions with North Wales Police on this subject."

The Royal Saudi Air Force was founded in 1916 and maintains the third largest fleet of F-15s after the US and Japanese air forces.