Indian Naval Ships Tamal, a newly commissioned multi-role frigate, and Surat, a guided missile destroyer, arrived at Jeddah Islamic Port on August 27-28, 2025, as part of ongoing naval exchanges between India and Saudi Arabia. INS Tamal, commissioned recently in Russia and en route to India, is the last warship to be imported by the Indian Navy.
During the port call, the ships engaged in a series of activities including meetings with the Western Fleet of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces and the Director General of the Saudi Border Guards, familiarization visits to the Jeddah Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, and a friendly football match with Saudi naval personnel. The visit will conclude with a passage exercise at sea.
Naval cooperation is a key pillar of the broader India–Saudi Arabia defence partnership. The two navies have conducted joint maritime exercises Al Mohed Al Hindi in 2021 and 2023, and earlier this year held the first round of Navy-to-Navy Staff Talks. Regular exchanges of officers and cadets for training and capacity building further underscore the close collaboration, with a recent Saudi naval delegation visiting the Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurugram.The visit of INS Tamal and INS Surat highlights the growing strategic partnership between India and Saudi Arabia and is expected to enhance interoperability and operational coordination between the two navies.