JUBAIL: 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.
Now the two countries can add defense cooperation and military training to that list, Indian Ambassador Ausaf Sayeed said.
He spoke to reporters while 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.
“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.”
The arrival of the Indian Navy ship heralds a new chapter in bilateral defense ties, the ambassador said, as India-Saudi bilateral defense engagements have seen a noticeable upswing in the past few months with an increased number of Indian Navy ships visiting Saudi Arabia.
The Indian Western Fleet commander was aboard the ship for the first exercise as the India-Saudi naval training will include a number of sea exercises and maneuvers.
According to Sayeed, Indian naval assets have been increasingly deployed to address the maritime concerns within the region. Highlighting the Indian Navy’s strengths, he said the country’s navy has assisted countries in the region with hydrographic surveys, search and rescue, and other capacity-building and capability-enhancing activities.
The warship arrived in Saudi Arabia after carrying out a similar naval exercise with the UAE Navy off the coast of Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
While it was docked in Jubail, Sayeed toured the INS Kochi and was briefed on the ongoing naval exercise as well as the capabilities and various tasks undertaken by the warship.
The INS Kochi is one of three Kolkata-class stealth guided-missile destroyers that were constructed for the Indian Navy. It was commissioned on Sept. 30, 2015, and is equipped with sophisticated digital networks along with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors to neutralize any threat from the air, sea, or from underwater.
Saudi-India naval exercise heralds new era in ties
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Saudi-India naval exercise heralds new era in ties
- The INS Kochi is docked in Jubail as part of the first shared naval exercise between India and the Kingdom
- Harbor phase of the “Al-Mohed Al-Hindi 2021” exercise began on Monday as sea-based drills started Wednesday
King Salman receives written message from Russian President Vladimir Putin
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman received a written message on Thursday from Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, about relations between Moscow and Riyadh.
Waleed Al-Khuraiji, the Saudi deputy minister of foreign affairs, accepted the message on the king’s behalf during a meeting with Sergey Kozlov, the Russian ambassador to Saudi Arabia. They discussed relations between their countries and ways in which they might be enhanced, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Saudi Arabia denounces Israeli far-right minister’s incursion into Al-Aqsa Mosque
- Itamar Ben-Gvir’s visit and prayer at Al-Aqsa provoked ‘the feelings of Muslims worldwide’
- The Kingdom also condemns the advance by Israeli occupation forces in southern Syria
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the visit by the Israeli far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to the sacred Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City in occupied East Jerusalem.
The ministry said that the national security minister’s visit and prayer at the Al-Aqsa compound on Thursday morning was a clear violation and provocation of the feelings of Muslims worldwide.
Ben-Gvir has repeatedly contested the Israeli government’s longstanding ban on Jewish prayer at the Al-Aqsa compound, which has been a focal point of tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Al-Aqsa compound in the Old City of Jerusalem is Islam’s holiest site after the mosques in Makkah and Madinah and is a symbol of Palestinian national identity.
The Saudi ministry on Thursday also condemned the Israeli occupation forces’ advance in southern Syria after the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime in early December.
“The continuation of (Israeli) military operations in Syria is an attempt to sabotage Syria’s chances of restoring its security and stability,” the ministry said in a statement.
Saudi foreign minister takes part in GCC extraordinary meeting in Kuwait
- GCC officials reject foreign interference in Syrian affairs, call for lifting of Western sanctions
- Meeting affirms GCC’s support for Palestinian people and demands ceasefire in Gaza
RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan took part in the 46th extraordinary meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s ministerial council in Kuwait on Thursday.
Ministers and officials from GCC countries discussed the latest developments in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza.
They stressed the need to uphold Syria’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity after the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in early December.
The ministerial council rejected foreign interference in Syrian affairs and called for Western sanctions that have weakened the country’s economy to be lifted, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
They reaffirmed their support for a comprehensive transitional process that ensures civilian safety, achieves national reconciliation, and preserves state institutions.
The council condemned Israeli attacks on Syria and the plan to expand illegal settlements in the occupied Golan Heights. It also condemned Israeli strikes on Lebanon.
Officials stressed that Lebanon needs political and economic reforms to prevent it from becoming a hub for terrorism and drug smuggling, highlighting the critical role of the Lebanese security forces in addressing these issues, the SPA added.
The meeting affirmed the GCC’s support for the Palestinian people, and called for a permanent ceasefire, an end to the siege in Gaza, and the supply of humanitarian aid.
Prince Sultan bin Saad, Saudi ambassador to Kuwait, and other senior Saudi foreign officials attended the meeting.
200 students will compete to represent Saudi Arabia at top science events
- Mawhiba, Ministry of Education select students from a record 291,057 applications
RIYADH: A total of 200 students have been chosen to compete for a chance to represent the Kingdom at next year’s prestigious International Science and Engineering Fair and other international competitions.
The King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, or Mawhiba, and the Ministry of Education announced the qualification of the 200 students, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
The announcement took place at the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity, or Ibdaa, exhibition for science and engineering. The Ibdaa event is held to create a competitive and creative environment for pre-college scientific researchers.
The students were selected from among 480 participants in the recent regional exhibitions held as a part of the fourth stage of the Olympiad.
The final qualifying stage for the Olympiad will be held at the Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University conference center in Riyadh from Feb. 2 to 6.
The Ibdaa 2025 Olympiad had a record registration of 291,057 students.
The Olympiad is an annual international contest for middle and high school students in standards and technology. It started as a local event in Korea in 2006, and became an international contest in 2014.
Beekeepers’ association launches green campaign
RIYADH: The Beekeepers Cooperative Association in Rijal Almaa in the Asir Region on Thursday launched an initiative to plant 1,000 sidr trees in Wadi Hiswah as part of an environmental sustainability plan aligning with the Saudi Green Initiative.
Inaugurated in 2021, the Saudi Green Initiative unites environmental protection, energy transition and sustainability programs with the overarching aims of offsetting and reducing emissions, increasing afforestation and land restoration, and supports Saudi Arabia’s ambition to reach net zero emissions by 2060.
The Beekeepers Association launched the green campaign in collaboration with the National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The chairman of the association’s board of directors, Ali bin Yahya Al-Hayani, said that this initiative aims to enhance air quality and combat climate change.
He identified the environmental benefits of the sidr tree, highlighting its resilience, its role in combating desertification, and its contribution to soil health and biodiversity.
