RIYADH: Trainees from the King Fahad Naval Academy of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces have joined the First Training Squadron of the Indian Navy at Southern Naval Command in Kochi. The 76-strong group is the second batch of trainees to undergo training with the 1TS, with the first attending in May–June 2023. “This is the second time Saudi navy officers are being trained at this facility in Kochi, India. Last year, we had 55 Saudi cadets for similar training,” said Suhel Ajaz Khan, Indian ambassador to Saudi Arabia. “We are happy at growing defense cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia. It indicates mutual trust and depth of our growing bilateral relations,” he added. The Saudi Naval Forces trainees joined 1TS on June 24. A statement from India’s Ministry of Defense said they were warmly welcomed by Senior Officer 1TS, Capt. Anshul Kishore, during an inaugural address outlining the four-week long training program. The curriculum ranges from basic seamanship to simulator-based training during the harbor phase. The sea phase focuses on practical exposure to the nuances of life at sea. The trainees will also be familiarized with sail training. The cadets will train alongside their Indian counterparts, fostering camaraderie and mutual understanding between both groups. RSNF Chief of Staff Adm. Fahad Abdullah S Al-Ghofaily visited Southern Naval Command in January during an official visit. The Kingdom and India have long enjoyed friendly bilateral relations and there is now a steady growth in defense cooperation between New Delhi and Riyadh. In January 2023, in an article for Arab News on Indian Republic Day, N. Ram Prasad — then deputy chief of mission at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh — said cooperation continued to increase as the two countries explored new avenues to cement their growing partnership, with a focus on making the world a safer and more secure place.