In a first, the Commander of the Royal Saudi Land Forces, Lieutenant General Fahd Bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutair, has arrived in India on a two-day visit.

This is the first visit by a serving Royal Saudi Land Forces Commander to India and marks deepening of bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries.

General MM Naravane had visited Saudi Arabia in December 2020, the first time an Indian Army Chief visited Saudi Arabia.

Lieutenant General Fahd Bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutair was received by General MM Naravane, and the two held significant bilateral discussions. The Saudi General was also briefed on various security aspects that engulf India.

Among the things agreed upon were the increase in the number of bilateral courses and a “scoping delegation” to see where engagement can be deepened between the two armies.

Importantly, the Army Design Bureau made a presentation to Lt Gen Mutair on the rapid strides made by the Indian defence industry and induction of in-service equipment by the Indian Army.

They also highlighted the initiatives of the Indian government to facilitate Ease of Doing Business, including the contribution of start-ups.

The ministry of defence in its press release said: “The relationship between India and Saudi Arabia has grown owing to common interests in economic prosperity, eliminating the scourge of terrorism and mitigating the effects of climate change. Defence diplomacy forms one of the major tenets of the overall relationship.”

Lieutenant General Fahd Bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutair will leave for Saudi Arabia on February 16.