India, Saudi Arabia deepen defence ties at 7th joint committee meeting

New Delhi: India and Saudi Arabia reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral defence cooperation at the 7th meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation (JCDC), held in New Delhi on Thursday.

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The meeting has been co-chaired by Ministry of Defence's Joint Secretary Amitabh Prasad from the Indian side and Staff Maj Gen Saad Mohammed H Alkathiri from the Saudi side. Both delegations expressed satisfaction over the execution of key decisions taken during the previous JCDC session and emphasized exploring new avenues for defence collaboration.

During the discussion various areas including training cooperation, maritime security, military exercises, cyber and IT capabilities, disaster management, and tactical communication. India offered to extend training support to Saudi Armed Forces, while both sides assessed respective training capacities and requirements.

Highlighting India’s growing capabilities in defence manufacturing, the Indian side showcased *Made-in-India* advanced defence equipment. The dialogue also explored possibilities for joint manufacturing and industrial partnerships between the two nations.

Both countries expressed satisfaction with the successful conduct of Navy and Army Staff Talks earlier this year and agreed to continue with these engagements.

The meeting builds on the growing momentum in bilateral defence relations, which was further institutionalized with the creation of a Ministerial Committee on Defence Cooperation under the Strategic Partnership Council during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Saudi Arabia in April 2025.

The strengthening of defence cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia comes amid a rapidly evolving regional security environment and underscores the strategic importance of the partnership for both nations.

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