ISLAMABAD: Royal Saudi Navy vessels reached Karachi on Saturday, the Saudi defense ministry said, as the kingdom’s forces will participate in a joint naval drill with the Pakistan Navy.
Footage from Saudi television news channel Al-Arabiya showed a Saudi military vessel docked at the Karachi port and its personnel being received by Pakistan Navy officials. The Royal Saudi Air Force will also participate in the exercise with a number of combat aircraft.
“The ships of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces arrived in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to carry out the bilateral naval exercises Naseem Al-Bahr 13,” the ministry said, as it shared photographs of the vessels and RSNF staff meeting Pakistani officers.

The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted exercise commander Rear Adm. Sajer bin Rafeed Al-Anezi as saying Naseem Al-Bahr is a series joint exercises carried out by the Saudi naval forces and the Pakistani Navy, which aim to “unify concepts and joint work between the navies of the two countries.”
The two naval forces have strong relations as Pakistan had provided training to Saudi officers and sailors during the Saudi navy’s formative period between the 1970’s and 80’s.
Many Saudi officers are graduates of the Pakistan Naval Academy in Karachi.