In a significant first, Lieutenant General Fahd Bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutair, Commander of the Royal Saudi Land Forces, arrived in India on Monday and ended his three-day trip on Wednesday.

According to a statement issued by Indian ministry of defence, this was the first-ever visit by a serving Saudi Land Forces Commander to India and marks a deepening bilateral defence cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia.

The statement further said that the “aim of the visit is to bolster bilateral defence”.

"Lieutenant General Fahd Bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutair was received by the Chief of the Army Staff General M.M. Naravane on February 15 at South Block and was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour," read the statement.

The Saudi Army chief met the Indian Army Chief “for significant bilateral discussions and was briefed on security aspects” it added.

"Over the past few years, the relationship between India and Saudi Arabia has grown owing to common interests in economic prosperity, eliminating the scourge of terrorism and mitigating the effects of climate change," the statement noted.

In December 2020, Indian Chief of the Army Staff General M.M. Naravane had visited Saudi Arabia. The visit marked the first time that an Indian Army Chief had visited Saudi Arabia.