Hello People!
In today’s blog we will talk about the first ever naval exercise between India and Saudi Arabia called “Al Mohed Al Hind” which began on 10th August 2021. India and Saudi Arabia began their maiden naval exercise with the aim of deepening defense cooperation.
Key Highlights
- India’s guided-missile destroyer INS Kochi reached Saudi Arabia port Al Jubai.
- INS Kochi recently conducted an exercise with the UAE Navy. The warship was welcomed by the royal Saudi naval forces, border guards and officials of the Indian Embassy.
- The exercise includes a series of maneuvers both shore and sea based
- The exercise is taking place amid rising tension in the Gulf region after a drone attack on a merchant tanker off Oman killed a British national and a Romanian citizen over a week back.
- In December 2020, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane visited the UAE and Saudi Arabia in a first-ever visit by a head of the Indian Army to the two important Gulf countries.
Recent exercise by INS Kochi
Recently the INS Kochi and the UAE Navy’s “Zayed Talwar” exercised off the coast of Abu Dhabi. On August 7, the UAE sent a Baynunah-class guided-missile corvette and helicopters to participate in the exercise, which included tactical manoeuvres, over-the-horizon targeting, and electronic warfare operations.
INS Kochi
It was built by Indian engineers with Indian technology. It is a Kolkata class stealth guided missile destroyer.
It is one of the few warships of the world and the second in the Indian Navy to have Multi-Function Surveillance and Threat Alert Radar to provide target data to the Long Range Surface to Air Missile system.
The ship is actually a “Network of Networks,” since it is equipped with advanced digital networks, as well as a complex array of state-of-the-art weapons and sensors to neutralize any threat from the air, sea, or underwater.
Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest arms buyers in the world. India is showcasing its ship building skills thereby trying to enter the Saudi Arabian market in the process.
Saudi Arabia’s future plans
If the world succeeds in cutting its carbon emissions, the business of oil that has sustained this country for eight decades doesn’t have many more years left.
Saudi Arabia is planning for a future without oil barrels. The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed Bin Salman stated his goal to diversify the economy through building green energy plants and investing in smart cities. Riyadh has plans for the country to generate 50% of its grid power from renewable sources by 2030.
India’s relationship with Saudi Arabia
India’s relationship with Saudi Arabia is based on energies. Saudi Arabia is India’s fourth largest trade partner (after China, the USA and UAE) and a major source of energy as India imports around 18% of its crude oil requirement and 30 % of its LPG requirement from the Kingdom. India can help Saudi Arabia to achieve its 2030 goal by contributing to skill development, job creation, and public services.
How did Riyadh turn to India from Pakistan?
For decades the most significant partner of Saudi Arabia was Pakistan. The relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia went haywire when Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi openly rebuked the kingdom for its lack of support for Islamabad’s interests on the Kashmir issue. As a reaction the kingdom forced Pakistan to pay back a 1 billion dollar loan. It also recognized India’s rights to make decisions in Kashmir. In line with Saudi Arabia’s efforts to diversify its partners for defense imports and defense joint production and collaboration, India presents itself as a reliable partner thereby shifting from Pakistan.
Roadmap for maritime security
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently chaired a high-level United Nations Security Council. He outlined five principles, including the removal of barriers to maritime trade and the peaceful resolution of disputes, on the basis of which a global roadmap for maritime security cooperation can be developed. Maritime disputes should be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law. This is very important for mutual trust and confidence. This is the only way to ensure global peace and stability.
About Saudi Arabia
Capital – Riyadh
King – Salman of Saudi Arabia
Currency – Saudi Riyal
With this we come to the end of this blog. To summarize, we discussed all the relevant points related to the maiden exercise between India and Saudi Arabia, its importance and future relationship prospects between both the countries.
Hope it was an interesting read!
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