Daijiworld Media Network - Riyadh

Riyadh, Aug 12: India and Saudi Arabia have embarked on a well-trodden journey toward enhancing bilateral relations in a variety of different fields, including trade and business, infrastructure development, commerce, medical research, and people-to-people exchanges.

India and Saudi Arabia can now add defense cooperation and military training to the list of various enhanced bilateral relations, Indian Ambassador Ausaf Sayeed said while speaking to reporters onboard the INS Kochi, a flagship destroyer for the Indian Western Naval Fleet, which is docked in Jubail as part of the first Saudi-India naval exercise.
The harbor phase of the 'Al-Mohed Al-Hindi 2021' exercise began on Monday and the sea-based drills started Wednesday, August 11.

“Defense relations constitute a significant element of our shared strategic vision for the region and this first bilateral naval exercise is a testimony to our strong ties with Saudi Arabia,” Sayeed said.

“The naval exercise will assist in promoting understanding and furthering interoperability between the two navies,” he added.