Indian Navy ships conclude Jeddah visit with joint naval exercise

Indian Navy warships INS Tamal and INS Surat concluded their port call at Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on August 30, with a passage exercise alongside the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) corvette HMS Jazan, before proceeding on deployment.

During the visit, the ships engaged extensively with the RSNF and Saudi Border Guard through sports fixtures and interactions with personnel. On August 28, the vessels hosted India’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan, onboard.

The Commanding Officers of INS Tamal and INS Surat also met Rear Admiral Mansour Bin Saud Al-Junaid, Commander of RSNF Western Fleet, and Major General Fahad Bin Majid Al-Duajani, Commander of the Royal Saudi Border Guard for the Mecca Region.

Discussions focused on non-traditional security challenges in the Red Sea and the wider Indian Ocean, with both sides recognising the importance of joint operations and enhanced information sharing.

A cultural programme hosted onboard INS Tamal drew participation from senior Saudi officials, representatives of the Indian Embassy, and members of the Indian diaspora.

The visit underscored India’s commitment to strengthening defence cooperation with Saudi Arabia while offering both navies opportunities to share best practices and explore future engagements.