NEW DELHI, 8 June 2008 — “I feel sad on leaving India for I have fallen in love with this country,” said Saudi Ambassador Saleh Mohammad Al-Ghamdi on the last day of his office here. The term of his tenure, five years and three months — as against the usual term of three to four yeas for a diplomat — is in itself reflective of his having contributed extensively to strengthening of Saudi-Indian ties, and has led to his developing a strong bond with the people here. When he first stepped into India as the Saudi envoy on April 16, 2003, the situation was different. “When I first arrived, I was met with many frustrations and problems. It took me sometime to get adjusted,” Al-Ghamdi told Arab News. Though he was familiar with Indian terrain, having come here earlier in 1972 as a tourist and in the late nineties as an ambassador to participate in a Non-Aligned summit, this was his first visit with a mission: to promote Saudi-Indian relations.
Describing his initial experience as natural, Al-Ghamdi said: “This usually happens when you arrive, where you have to work and produce results. You have to do your best.” Reflecting on his stay here, he said with a smile: “I have been lucky. I succeeded.”
The highlight of his term was the visit of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah in January 2006 as the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations. That opened a new chapter in Saudi-Indian relations. Describing it as a “landmark visit,” Al-Ghamdi laid stress on it being a “turning point,” giving a new momentum to relations between Riyadh and Delhi.
One of Al-Ghamdi’s initial aims was to correct “misperceptions” held about Saudi Arabia, regarded as a very rich, radical country and a breeding ground of terrorism. “I have tried my best to introduce Saudi Arabia to our Indian brothers and sisters, to make them understand that it is like any other country,” the diplomat emphasized. “We (Saudi Arabia and India) have a lot in common, culturally and as third world nations. Our country has suffered the menace caused by terrorism. We are a peaceful nation. We mean no harm to anyone,” he said.
The irreversible impact of his stay here has been spreading the message: “We need India as much as India needs us.” This is marked by a substantial increase in investment on both sides in the past few years. Bilateral trade in 2006-07 stood at $16 billion ($3 billion excluding oil) and is expected to double by 2010.
Where oil trade is concerned, Al-Ghamdi said: “We have expressed our commitment on uninterrupted supply of oil to India as much as it needs.”
Saudi-Indian ties have now expanded further, beyond the oil trade. Laying emphasis on this, Al-Ghamdi said that “all hurdles” having been removed, the “future is bright” for strengthening of ties. “The two countries have also started working toward establishing a strategic partnership,” he said.
The joint chief of Saudi Armed Forces is expected to visit India in October, Al-Ghamdi said. Besides, Saudi officials have been here to attend its military institutions.
India’s keenness to strengthen ties with Saudi Arabia is marked by Al-Ghamdi having received full cooperation from all ministries here, for which he expressed his appreciation. Praising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his “dedicated approach” toward “strengthening Saudi-Indian ties,” Al-Ghamdi pointed to several high-level visits from India to Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to Saudi Arabia was followed by that of Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia. The Indian premier is expected to visit Saudi Arabia later this year after the month of Ramadan, Al-Ghamdi said.
In addition to an increase in government-level visits, Al-Ghamdi laid stress on the importance of a gradual increase in “people-to-people” contacts. “Efforts made by the two governments are great. When there are stronger cooperation and deeper understanding of each other through more people-to-people contacts, greater changes will follow,” he said. The past few years, marked by numerous official and business delegation exchanges, have also witnessed visits by youth delegations from both countries, Al-Ghamdi said.
While it is a well-known fact that one and a half million Indians living in the Kingdom, are the largest expatriate community there, Al-Ghamdi pointed to a lesser known fact, about Saudis studying here. “There are around 250 Saudi students here studying medicine, engineering, information technology and other subjects. The same number is expected in the coming year,” he said.
The increase in Saudi Embassy’s staff and opening of a Saudi school in New Delhi — the first for Arabs — are other signs of the tremendous progress made in bilateral relations, he said. Besides, he recently opened a Saudi cultural attaché office in India, which will help Indians learn more about the country.
Having made a large number of friends here, Al-Ghamdi felt sad on leaving India. But he said: “I will definitely be visiting India frequently. As a diplomat has to carry on with these changes, I am looking forward to my new assignment.”
In Al-Ghamdi’s opinion, Indian media can play a more “constructive role” in further cementing Saudi-Indian ties. The Arabs and Al-Ghamdi would be delighted to learn that media representatives in India, particularly the ones covering the Arab world, have expressed one opinion about the role he played in giving the much needed boost to Saudi-India bilateral ties. “It has been great.” They will miss him!
