General Haykal visits the United Kingdom at the official invitation of his British counterpart, participates in the 10th annual meeting of the DRAGON GROUP, and meets with a number of commanders of friend armies

Lebanese Army Commander-in-Chief General Rodolph Haykal visited the United Kingdom on 22 and 23 October 2026, at the official invitation of his British counterpart, Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton. He took part in the 10th annual meeting of the Dragon Group, which brought together commanders and representatives of the armies of Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, as well as a representative of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Discussions focused on shared challenges and ways to deepen cooperation in support of regional security and stability, in addition to a range of global and regional issues.
General Haykal also met with his British counterpart to discuss ways to support the Lebanese Army and strengthen bilateral cooperation. He expressed his gratitude to the British authorities for their continued support for the military institution.
The Army Commander-in-Chief subsequently met with British National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, where the two sides discussed the latest developments in southern Lebanon and options for the post-UNIFIL phase.
He also held meetings with Qatar’s Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General (Pilot) Jassim bin Mohammed Al Mannai, and Jordan’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Major General Majdi Mohammed Al Harasis. The meetings addressed cooperation between the Lebanese Army and the Qatari and Jordanian armies amid regional developments.