ISLAMABAD: Saudi Naval Forces Commander, General Fahd bin Abdullah Al-Ghufaili, met Pakistan navy chief admiral Amjad Khan Niazi in Islamabad and discussed issues related to ‘regional maritime security,’ the Pakistan Navy said on Tuesday.
Gen Al-Ghufaili arrived in the Pakistani port city of Karachi on Monday for the ongoing Pak-Saudi joint naval exercise Naseem Al-Bahr 13.
Pakistani and Saudi forces started the exercise in Karachi on Sunday.
In a meeting in Islamabad on Tuesday, “issues of mutual interest and regional maritime security situation were discussed” between the two generals, the Pakistan Navy said.
“The distinguished guest [Gen Al-Ghufaili] appreciated the efforts of Pakistan Navy for maritime security and stability in the region,” the statement said. “The visit of Commander Raul Saudi Naval Forces will further enhance relations between the two brotherly countries.”
The Naseem Al-Bahr exercise “includes joint conduct of maritime security operations across the traditional and non-traditional warfare domains thus enhancing interoperability between both the navies.”
The exercise also aims to consolidate existing strong ties between the Pakistan Navy and Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF).
Ties between the two forces go back a long way, as Pakistan provided training to Saudi officers and sailors during the Saudi navy’s formative years in the seventies and eighties.
Many Saudi officers are graduates of the Pakistan Naval Academy in Karachi.
