India and Saudi Arabia are set to hold their third joint naval exercise among a range of steps to deepen bilateral defence relations, including capacity building and the first defence deal to supply artillery ammunition to the West Asian state, people familiar with the matter said.
The two sides held their first joint naval exercise – Al-Mohed Al-Hindi – in August 2021 and the second in May 2023, and preparations are underway for the third edition of the drill to be held soon, reflecting the steady growth of defence ties, the people said on condition of anonymity.
This comes after India’s first defence contract with Saudi Arabia in February 2024, when state-run Munitions Indian Limited (MIL) inked a deal worth $225 million to supply artillery ammunition. This was followed by another deal worth $80 million for artillery ammunition last year, the people said.
“The amounts may be seen as small but India has been able to enter one of the world’s markets for military equipment. These deals and the military exercise also reflect the growing recognition of India as a defence partner,” one of the people cited above said.
They also pointed to the potential for synergy between New Delhi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative and Riyadh’s ‘Vision 2030’, which envisages the localisation of 50% of defence spending.
“Saudi Arabia is looking to diversify its defence supply chains. India is a good source, given our comfort with the West and our technical capabilities,” the person said.
The joint naval exercises have strengthened the position of the Indian Navy, whose area of interest spans from the Strait of Hormuz to the Strait of Malacca, the people said. India and Saudi Arabia had agreed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Riyadh in 2019 to focus on ways to secure waterways in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf from “threat and dangers that may affect the interests of the two countries”.
India’s defence relations with Saudi Arabia received a major boost in December 2020 when former Indian Army General MM Naravane visited Riyadh – the first such trip by an Indian service chief.
There are now regular exchanges of officers and cadets between the two sides for training programmes. For instance, about 80 Saudi naval cadets have trained at the Indian Navy’s training establishments in Kochi for the past two years, the people said.
The former chief of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces, Lt Gen Fahd bin Abdullah Al-Ghufaili, became the first naval chief to visit India last year, and this was followed a month later by the first joint land force exercise – Ex-Sada Tanseeq I – in Rajasthan in February 2024.