Indian Naval Ships Tamal and Surat visited Jeddah Islamic Port on August 27-28, 2025, to strengthen defence ties between India and Saudi Arabia through ongoing naval exchanges.

INS Tamal, a newly commissioned multi-role stealth frigate of the Krivak/Tushil class, was commissioned on July 1, 2025, at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia, marking the last warship built abroad to be inducted into the Indian Navy under the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative.

INS Tamal features 26% indigenous components, including the BrahMos cruise missile system, and is part of the Western Fleet, enhancing India's naval capabilities for blue-water operations. INS Surat, a guided missile destroyer, accompanied Tamal on this diplomatic naval visit.

During their port call in Jeddah, the ships participated in a variety of engagements that included meetings with the Western Fleet of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces and the Director General of the Saudi Border Guards in the Makkah region.

They also visited the Jeddah Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre to familiarise themselves with operations and procedures. A friendly football match between Indian naval personnel and Saudi naval forces was held, fostering camaraderie. The visit was scheduled to conclude with a passage exercise at sea between the two navies, underscoring joint operational interoperability.

The naval cooperation exhibited through the visit is a vital component of the broader defence partnership between India and Saudi Arabia. This partnership has been marked by joint maritime exercises such as Al Mohed Al Hindi in 2021 and 2023, and the recent launch of Navy-to-Navy Staff Talks in early 2025.

The countries continue regular exchanges of officers and cadets for training and capacity building, symbolising growing collaboration. A Saudi naval delegation recently toured the Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurugram, India, highlighting ongoing strategic and practical cooperation.

The visit of INS Tamal and INS Surat thus highlights the deepening strategic partnership and marks an important step in enhancing interoperability and operational coordination between the Indian and Saudi navies.

It reflects the commitment of both nations to expanding military-to-military cooperation within a framework of enhanced maritime security, capacity building, and joint exercises, further strengthening their comprehensive defence ties established under recent ministerial and joint committee frameworks forged during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Saudi Arabia in April 2025.

This naval diplomacy reinforces the significance of Saudi Arabia as a key maritime neighbour of India and the mutual interest in safeguarding regional maritime stability and security.

The visit embodies a multifaceted approach to defence collaboration encompassing diplomacy, training, operational readiness, and strategic dialogue between the two countries, underscoring a shared vision for enhanced maritime partnership and security cooperation in the region.

Agencies