Why Gulf Navies Are Expanding Training Ties With India Whilst Limiting Pakistan Engagement | India News

A slow but inexorable change is taking shape in the maritime space of the Persian Gulf. Navies in Oman, UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are working more closely with India through training programmes, hydrographic assistance, frequent port visits and increasingly open information sharing. In contrast, its relations with Pakistan, once a familiar security partner, have gradually diminished.

What happened is not a diplomatic show-off. This is a practical realignment shaped by the capability, reliability and kind of military cooperation these states now need.

Operational Frameworks

Over the last few years, Gulf navies have moved towards more structured, repeated interaction with the Indian Navy.

In October 2024, India’s First Training Squadron sailed for Manama and Dubai on parallel port calls. These engagements were typical of a quietly maturing pattern: ship visits, cross-deck training, maritime familiarization and constant interaction between naval trainees and Indian Navy instructors. These postings provided recruits with practical training at sea, while also strengthening wider political and maritime connections.

Today, Pakistan’s model looks very different. Exercises such as Naseem-Al-Bahr with Oman are still taking place. Participation in the Combined Naval Forces continues. But once routine bilateral training exchanges with Oman, the UAE and Kuwait have diminished.

What remains is intermittent and limited compared to India’s busy year-round schedule.

Capacity Building and Footprint Expansion

India has turned naval training into a pillar of defense diplomacy in the Gulf.

A clear example of this occurred in 2024, when seventy-six cadets from the King Fahad Naval Academy in Saudi Arabia received training in Kochi, Southern Naval Command. Over the course of four weeks, the group went through simulator modules, basic maritime drills and time at sea. The Saudi naval leadership has openly acknowledged how beneficial it is for young officers to experience life on Indian ships.

At any given time, India is training nearly 300 foreign naval personnel in its academies, schools and warships.

Cooperation deepened on other fronts as well: In 2025, India and Saudi Arabia held their first Navy-Navy Staff Talks. The Al-Mohed Al-Hindi bilateral exercise currently has two editions, in 2021 and 2023. In August 2025, INS Tamal and Surat docked in Jeddah, followed by transition exercises and extensive crew interactions.

India and UAE advanced their agenda at the 13th Joint Defense Cooperation Committee meeting in July 2025, where special training courses were formally agreed.

The ninth round of Navy-Navy Staff Talks between India and the UAE expanded maritime information sharing arrangements.

Meanwhile, Pakistan hosts AMAN every two years and welcomes more than fifty countries. But no matter how large this meeting is, it does not replace the regular, deep-dive training that India currently offers in Gulf navies. Defense exports tell a similar story. Pakistan’s sales to Gulf buyers are modest. India, on the other hand, has started providing a slow but steady flow of indigenous components and systems.

Strategic Calculations

Gulf capitals do not make these choices in the abstract. They see clear differences in abilities.

India has two operational aircraft carriers: INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya. It has a fleet of modern destroyers, frigates and submarines capable of sustaining long deployments. Through mission-based deployment, the Indian Navy is almost constantly present in the Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. During Operation Sankalp in January 2024, India had more than ten warships operating in the region to protect merchant shipping.

This depends on a broader doctrine. India’s SAGAR vision, unveiled in 2015, places cooperative security and maritime stability at the center of Indian policy. This is not just a request. In April 2025, Indian Ocean Ship Sagar participated in joint missions with Indian Ocean island states; This is an example of how this vision is brought to life.

Pakistan’s marine profile appears to be more restricted. Without carriers or large destroyers, the Pakistan Navy’s reach barely reaches beyond the protection of Karachi and Gwadar. Its ability to contribute to Gulf-wide security missions such as anti-piracy patrols, tanker protection or broad surveillance is limited.

Economic tension further increased these restrictions. Gulf countries, which were previously more generous in financial support, have become reluctant to finance Pakistan’s defense sector. The effects of Pakistan’s parliamentary resolution on Yemen have also left a lasting impact on many Gulf capitals.

The steady growth of India-Gulf maritime cooperation is driven not only by diplomacy but also by operational needs. Through training programmes, joint domain awareness, hydrographic support and regular port visits, India has positioned the Indian Navy as a reliable maritime partner for the Gulf countries.

Pakistan’s limited offshore capacity, periodic engagement, and economic constraints have narrowed its relevance to Gulf maritime planning. The result is a recalibration that is neither ostentatious nor confrontational, but clearly directional.

India’s maritime power in the Gulf is growing, thanks to its stable presence, practical cooperation and navy capable of meeting the security demands of the region.