Line in the sand

Eight nations are planning to bid for a multibillion-dollar Saudi Arabia border surveillance system aimed at equipping the desert nation's 5,000-km border with an array of advanced sensor systems to protect against intrusions from neighboring states, especially Yemen and Iraq. Riyadh has opted for a nation-to-nation setup, with each country identifying a national champion to bid for the Saudi Border Guard Development Program (also called as Miksa), instead of dealing directly with industry.