Sept. 23 2016 marks the 86th anniversary of the National Day of Saudi Arabia.
On this auspicious occasion, we recall the historic event of the unification of the Kingdom by the great founder, King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al-Saud.
Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, is steadily moving today toward greater progress and prosperity.
This year’s anniversary comes at a time when the visionary leadership of the Kingdom has charted a new and ambitious course for the country.
I am speaking, of course, of ‘Vision 2030’ and the National Transformation Plan.
The vision and the plan aim to free the Kingdom from dependence on oil and to build a more prosperous and sustainable economy by tapping the country’s strengths, including its strategic position at the center of the Arab and Islamic world.
Vision 2030 outlines a comprehensive roadmap for diversifying the Kingdom’s sources of income, attracting foreign investment and making Saudi Arabia a manufacturing hub.
It focuses on privatizations, subsidy reforms, reducing unemployment, increasing women’s participation in the workforce, revamping the education sector and reforming several industries, including tourism and defense.
Vision 2030 and the ambitious reform policies contained in it have been hailed as positive, dynamic and far-sighted nationally and internationally.
The plan is set to transform Saudi Arabia, and has the potential to ensure its prosperity for decades to come.
As we celebrate the Kingdom’s National Day together, I would like to highlight the continued growth and expansion in the multifaceted relations between Saudi Arabia and the Republic of India.
The two countries are strategic partners, and among the top trading partners for each other.
We have extensive socioeconomic relations, both as nations and as peoples.
Saudi Arabia remains a major pillar for India’s energy security.
The economic partnership in the fields of investment, joint ventures and transfer of technology projects is steadily growing.
Major Saudi and Indian companies are present in each other’s market.
In recent years, there has been a marked increase in the exchange of visits between the senior officials of the two countries as well as between industry and business leaders, and there has been greater participation in each other’s trade fairs and exhibitions, leading to an increase in investments from both sides.
The people-to-people contacts are intensive and vibrant.
The Kingdom hosts over three million Indian nationals.
They contribute to the progress and development of both the Kingdom and India, and they are serving as an important cultural bridge between the two peoples.
The Haj and Umra pilgrimage is another important component of the people-to-people contacts.
The air traffic between the two countries is estimated to be around 4 million passengers per year.
In 2015, more than 70,000 Saudi citizens visited India for various purposes, which is a record.
Saudi Arabia and India are partners in promoting peace, stability and security in the region.
We are closely cooperating in countering the menace of terrorism, including through exchange of information and intelligence.
The robust security cooperation between the two countries is important not only for us but also for the entire region and beyond.
The two countries also have close defense ties.
We regularly exchange high-level delegations aimed at furthering cooperation between the two sides. Officers from both countries have been attending courses so that we can learn from each other’s experience and share wisdom.
There have been frequent goodwill visits by Indian Navy ships to the ports of Jeddah and Jubail.
In April this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid an official visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman.
This successful visit further expanded the horizons of the strategic cooperation between the two countries.
During the visit, several important MoUs were signed.
The joint statement issued at the conclusion of the visit reflected the deepening bilateral ties.
The two leaders emphasized the importance of expanding their trade and investment partnership, by diversifying the non-oil trade and facilitating investments by the private sectors in the two countries. They agreed to deepen their energy partnership by undertaking joint ventures in the energy sector. And they agreed to further enhance their cooperation in the field of security and defense.
The visit has significantly contributed to further consolidation and deepening of the strategic partnership, expanding the excellent bilateral relations in various political, economic, security, cultural and technological fields.
The wide-ranging changes and reforms underway in Saudi Arabia have opened up vast opportunities for partnership between public and private sectors of the two countries in key areas.
I would like to invite the Indian businesses and investors to tap the huge potential of the Kingdom’s economy.
I take this opportunity to convey the best wishes of the government and people of Saudi Arabia -and my own personal best wishes- for the continued growth and progress of the Republic of India, and the fondest hopes of the Saudi people for a relationship that will only become closer in the coming years and bring greater benefits to the people of India and Saudi Arabia.
— Dr. Saud Al-Sati is ambassador of
Saudi Arabia to India
On this auspicious occasion, we recall the historic event of the unification of the Kingdom by the great founder, King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al-Saud.
Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, is steadily moving today toward greater progress and prosperity.
This year’s anniversary comes at a time when the visionary leadership of the Kingdom has charted a new and ambitious course for the country.
I am speaking, of course, of ‘Vision 2030’ and the National Transformation Plan.
The vision and the plan aim to free the Kingdom from dependence on oil and to build a more prosperous and sustainable economy by tapping the country’s strengths, including its strategic position at the center of the Arab and Islamic world.
Vision 2030 outlines a comprehensive roadmap for diversifying the Kingdom’s sources of income, attracting foreign investment and making Saudi Arabia a manufacturing hub.
It focuses on privatizations, subsidy reforms, reducing unemployment, increasing women’s participation in the workforce, revamping the education sector and reforming several industries, including tourism and defense.
Vision 2030 and the ambitious reform policies contained in it have been hailed as positive, dynamic and far-sighted nationally and internationally.
The plan is set to transform Saudi Arabia, and has the potential to ensure its prosperity for decades to come.
As we celebrate the Kingdom’s National Day together, I would like to highlight the continued growth and expansion in the multifaceted relations between Saudi Arabia and the Republic of India.
The two countries are strategic partners, and among the top trading partners for each other.
We have extensive socioeconomic relations, both as nations and as peoples.
Saudi Arabia remains a major pillar for India’s energy security.
The economic partnership in the fields of investment, joint ventures and transfer of technology projects is steadily growing.
Major Saudi and Indian companies are present in each other’s market.
In recent years, there has been a marked increase in the exchange of visits between the senior officials of the two countries as well as between industry and business leaders, and there has been greater participation in each other’s trade fairs and exhibitions, leading to an increase in investments from both sides.
The people-to-people contacts are intensive and vibrant.
The Kingdom hosts over three million Indian nationals.
They contribute to the progress and development of both the Kingdom and India, and they are serving as an important cultural bridge between the two peoples.
The Haj and Umra pilgrimage is another important component of the people-to-people contacts.
The air traffic between the two countries is estimated to be around 4 million passengers per year.
In 2015, more than 70,000 Saudi citizens visited India for various purposes, which is a record.
Saudi Arabia and India are partners in promoting peace, stability and security in the region.
We are closely cooperating in countering the menace of terrorism, including through exchange of information and intelligence.
The robust security cooperation between the two countries is important not only for us but also for the entire region and beyond.
The two countries also have close defense ties.
We regularly exchange high-level delegations aimed at furthering cooperation between the two sides. Officers from both countries have been attending courses so that we can learn from each other’s experience and share wisdom.
There have been frequent goodwill visits by Indian Navy ships to the ports of Jeddah and Jubail.
In April this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid an official visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman.
This successful visit further expanded the horizons of the strategic cooperation between the two countries.
During the visit, several important MoUs were signed.
The joint statement issued at the conclusion of the visit reflected the deepening bilateral ties.
The two leaders emphasized the importance of expanding their trade and investment partnership, by diversifying the non-oil trade and facilitating investments by the private sectors in the two countries. They agreed to deepen their energy partnership by undertaking joint ventures in the energy sector. And they agreed to further enhance their cooperation in the field of security and defense.
The visit has significantly contributed to further consolidation and deepening of the strategic partnership, expanding the excellent bilateral relations in various political, economic, security, cultural and technological fields.
The wide-ranging changes and reforms underway in Saudi Arabia have opened up vast opportunities for partnership between public and private sectors of the two countries in key areas.
I would like to invite the Indian businesses and investors to tap the huge potential of the Kingdom’s economy.
I take this opportunity to convey the best wishes of the government and people of Saudi Arabia -and my own personal best wishes- for the continued growth and progress of the Republic of India, and the fondest hopes of the Saudi people for a relationship that will only become closer in the coming years and bring greater benefits to the people of India and Saudi Arabia.
— Dr. Saud Al-Sati is ambassador of
Saudi Arabia to India
