RIYADH/JEDDAH, 16 August 2004 — Indian expatriates observed their country’s independence day with flag raising ceremonies in Riyadh and Jeddah yesterday.
Ambassador Kamaluddin Ahmed and Consul General Ausaf Sayeed unfurled the national flag in the capital and Jeddah respectively and read President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s message. The president outlined the country’s external relations, defense and security, economy, water management and employment generation. He called for ending inequality of access to educational resources, enhancing the basis of technology, and standardization of teaching.
While India welcomes the Kingdom’s steps toward Saudization, it would not like to compete with its neighbors in South and Southeast Asia in setting up training programs geared to the needs of the Gulf. This was the substance of the joint remarks made by the ambassador and Sanjay Rana, first secretary (commercial) at the Indian Embassy, at the Riyadh ceremony.
The ceremonies in both Riyadh and Jeddah were attended by a large number of community members, embassy officials and their families. Indian International School children in Jeddah rendered patriotic songs at the ceremonies held at the consulate and the school.
Rana said the Manpower Council, proposed to be set up in New Delhi with training programs, would be mainly concerned with formulating schemes for the rehabilitation of Indian workers returning from the Gulf.
Meanwhile, Krishan Kumar, a career diplomat, is joining as new deputy chief of mission at the embassy in Riyadh today. He is coming from Paris. He was second secretary at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh from 1987 to 1991.
