On the occasion of the 57th anniversary of India’s independence, it gives me great pleasure to extend my warm greetings and best wishes to all Indians in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

India has been the success story of the present times. The Indian economy has seen consistent high rates of growth in recent years. It is emerging as a global player in information technology and is in the forefront of the unfolding a new era of knowledge economy, with its large pool of scientific and creative human resources. There is a change in the mindset of Indians who have become more confident and outward looking.

The Indian government, while nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit, is strongly committed to ensuring that the economic growth is accompanied by equity and social justice for all. It is dedicated to the principle of having the interests of the poor and disadvantaged sections of the Indian society and minorities and backward regions at the heart of all of its policies and actions. The new prime minister of India, Manmohan Singh in his address to the nation said that:

“…Policies that are aimed at promoting economic growth must also advance the cause of distributive justice and create new employment opportunities.”

Underlining the policy of his government he said that:

“To be able to devote our attention and energy to economic development that improves the lives of our people, we must ensure social and political stability, communal harmony and respect for the rule of law. We must put in place policies and programs, which empower all our citizens to lead a life of dignity and self respect.“

The last year saw several positive and encouraging developments in bilateral relations between India and Saudi Arabia. The Indian government has reiterated its commitment to continued thrust on India’s relations with the Gulf. Since last August, a number of high-level visits have been exchanged between India and Saudi Arabia.

In June 2004, the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed visited the Kingdom and had an audience with Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Fahd to whom he handed over a letter from the prime minister of India.

Ahamed signed an agreement with the Saudi Haj Minister, which, among other facilities, would now for the first time allow the Indian Haj pilgrims to use the Madinah International Airport in the arrival phase.

From Saudi Arabia, Dr. Hashim Yamani, minister of commerce and Industry led a high-level delegation of senior officials and businessmen to India to participate in the first-ever GCC-India Industrial Conference held in Bombay in February 2004. The GCC India Conference was a historic meeting, marking the first-ever structured gathering and composite dialogue forum involving GCC and India on such a magnitude.

It symbolized the strong political will on all sides to reinforce the India-GCC bilateral relations. The regular exchange of business and official delegations between the two countries and high level dialogue on political and economic matters helped in establishing a sound basis for robust, constructive and mutually beneficial relationship.

The last year also posed some challenges for the Indian community in Saudi Arabia and the region. I am proud to note that the Indian community by dint of their sincerity, exemplary hard work, competence and unwavering loyalty to the host country has been able to face these challenges successfully.

I express deep regret at the unfortunate deaths of 22 persons of different nationalities, including 8 Indians, in Alkhobar. We condemn all acts of terrorism which has led to the loss of innocent lives and damage to property. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Saudi authorities for their support. When I visited Alkhobar in aftermath of the attack and met the governor of Eastern Province in Dammam, he took special care for facilitating the speediest possible assistance to the affected people. Today, we also remember our brethren taken hostage in Iraq and their relatives in India who are undergoing enormous pain and anguish, and pray for their early release and return.

India attaches a special importance to welfare and well being of its non-resident nationals and PIOs, especially in the Gulf region. The Indian government has created a new Ministry for Non-Resident Affairs which illustrates its commitment to the welfare of the NRI/PIO community. As many of you would be aware, it has also decided to reserve 1/3rd of the 15 percent supernumerary seats across different disciplines in educational institutions for children of NRIs in the Gulf at the fees applicable to resident Indians.

The Embassy of India in Riyadh and the Consulate General of India in Jeddah remain committed to serving the Indian community to the best of their ability. In addition to sending teams to the different parts of the Kingdom to provide consular and welfare services to the Indian community and help in resolving their problems, the Indian Missions have taken two new initiatives to reach out to the community.

I am happy to inform you that, as announced by Ahamed, the embassy has been holding “Open House” on every second Thursday of the month since last month. The members of the Indian community who could not visit the embassy or the consulate on weekdays could meet the embassy officials during “Open House” without prior appointments to discuss any issue of concern to them.

In addition, since July 19, a dedicated 24-hour helpline is functioning at the Indian Embassy which can be contacted by any Indian in Saudi Arabia to seek assistance in emergencies. I am glad to note that the response to “Open House” and the 24-hour helpline has been very encouraging.

With this, I would like to reiterate the full dedication of the Indian missions in Saudi Arabia and my personal commitment to the welfare of Indians living in Saudi Arabia. People, I believe, are India’s greatest resource. Each member of the Indian community in Saudi Arabia is a goodwill ambassador between the two countries. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your contribution to the national development as well as bringing the two countries closer to each other with your hard work, decency and sincerity. India is proud of you.

Jai Hind!