NEW DELHI, 2 April 2005 — Saudi Ambassador Saleh Al-Ghamdi highlighted the growing relations between Riyadh and New Delhi and described India as one of the superpowers.
“We are dealing with India as a superpower. India of today is not the India of past. Saudi Arabia values its relations with India. There should be no skepticism about it,” he said.
In a joint press conference with Indian Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar following the latter’s successful visit to Saudi Arabia, Al-Ghamdi said Saudi Arabia was committed to unlimited supply of energy to India no matter what the circumstances.
Taking note of the upswing in the Indo-Saudi ties in the recent past, Al-Ghamdi and Aiyar also said that in the future this would be followed by exchange of visits between Saudi and Indian dignitaries, including Crown Prince Abdullah, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and ministers heading foreign, finance, home and other portfolios.
Regarding the crown prince’s India-visit, Aiyar said: “The invitation has been extended. He is likely to visit soon.”
Though Aiyar did not reveal the date, informed sources told Arab News that crown prince’s India visit is expected to take place in the near future, this year itself.
When asked about his Saudi Arabia trip, Aiyar told Arab News: “It was wonderful.”
Al-Ghamdi also traced Indo-Saudi relations to thousands of years ago linking it with the Indian spices still known in Saudi Arabia as “bharatiya.”
Elaborating on this further, Aiyar said: “We have nearly one and a half million Indians living in Saudi Arabia, one and a half times more than the Indians living in United States.”
Aiyar also emphasized the remittances of nearly $4 billion being sent by Indians working there and the setting up of 67 Indian ventures in Saudi Arabia in the recent past.
Touching on the progress in the Indo-Saudi relations, Aiyar said: “The world scenario is rapidly changing. There is a much larger degree of correspondence between Riyadh and New Delhi now then there had been in last 50 years.”
Regarding the economic transactions, whose details were not revealed, Aiyar said that there would be criss-cross of investment between Saudi Aramco and Indian oil firms IOC & HPCL. Saudi Aramco is expected to invest in either/both Vizag and Paradeep refineries. Indian companies are to invest in the planned Yanbu refinery of Saudi Aramco.
Besides, having invested in storage facilities in other parts of the world, Saudi Aramco is interested in extending these facilities to India too, Aiyar said.
Meanwhile, Al-Ghamdi recently visited Hyderabad and met with the governor and chief minister of the state as well as prominent Muslim personalities.
He spoke on the Saudi government’s efforts in improving the services to pilgrims. The ambassador also attended a ceremony marking the launch of Saudi Arabian Airlines’ direct flight to Hyderabad.
