Saudi Arabia has won the presidency of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) for a two-year term from 2027 to 2029. Saudi Arabia has been chosen unanimously for the presidency by the member states and observers of IONS during its 8th annual meeting that concluded Friday in Bangkok, capital of Thailand. Chiefs of navies and senior officials from 25 member countries in addition to delegates from observer states participated in the four-day event, themed “Blue economy: ways forward for sustainable development of IONS member states.” The IONS grouping consists of 25 member countries, including Saudi Arabia and eight observer states. The naval chiefs discussed ways to step up maritime cooperation, address challenges in the vast expanse and strengthen its security structure. The IONS is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime cooperation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region by providing an open and inclusive forum for discussion of regionally relevant maritime issues. In the process, it endeavors to generate a flow of information between naval professionals that would lead to common understanding and possibly cooperative solutions on the way ahead.