It gives me immense pleasure to extend my warm greetings and best wishes to the Indian community in Saudi Arabia on India’s 63rd Independence Day.
On this auspicious occasion, we remember with great reverence, pride and gratitude the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters to unshackle and liberate India. Today, as we reflect upon more than six decades of independence, we are proud of our remarkable progress and achievements on all fronts. Our nation has witnessed significant development in the economic, social and cultural spheres. On the political front, the smooth conduct of the recent Parliamentary elections, a mammoth exercise involving 714 million voters, validates the strength, maturity and resolve of the Indian democracy. The astounding progress in the field of science & technology, including the frontier areas of space technology, information and communication technology, biotechnology, and nanotechnology, have added to India’s prowess.
On the bilateral front with the brotherly country of Saudi Arabia, India shares a historic relationship spanning over several centuries, which is characterized by strong economic, political, commercial and cultural ties. We fondly remember the historic visit of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to India in January 2006 and his reference to India as his “second home.” The visit was a landmark in our bilateral relations that continue to be guided by the visionary “Delhi Declaration” signed during the visit.
The bilateral relations have been further strengthened by the exchange of high-level visits from both sides. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal visited India twice last year, which was reciprocated by the visit of the then External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to the Kingdom. Both countries have institutionalized mechanisms for bilateral consultations including Joint Commission meetings and Joint Working Groups in key areas of bilateral cooperation.
The steady growth in bilateral trade figures and the visits of several commercial delegations bear testimony to our strong economic and commercial ties. India is currently the fifth largest trading partner and fifth largest market for Saudi exports. Bilateral trade has risen threefold over the last five years and stood at $23.11 billion in 2007-08. Saudi Arabia continues to be a reliable source of crude oil to meet the burgeoning energy needs of the fast-growing Indian economy. Saudi Arabia is the largest supplier of crude oil to India supplying one-fifth of India’s total crude oil requirements.
Indian investments in the Kingdom have doubled over the last five years with the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority awarding licenses to 565 projects — either joint ventures or 100 percent Indian owned — with Indian investment of more than $2 billion. The Kingdom already hosts several major Indian companies, especially in the sectors such as information technology, construction, contracting services, engineering goods and agro-products. The outstanding performance by the Indian economy over the recent years is a reflection of its strong economic fundamentals. This year too, the Indian economy has posted good results despite the global financial downturn demonstrating its resilience. Saudi investors are invited to explore the ‘low-risk high-return’ investment opportunities provided by India in projects related to infrastructure, transportation, telecommunications, power generation, real estate and other lucrative sectors.
India is home to one of the largest scientific and technical manpower in the world and has a strong reputation for its knowledge-based industries. Saudi Arabia has also accorded high priority to KBIs and given India’s proven track record in this area, I see immense potential and synergies emerging in the near future. I am pleased to note that India and Saudi Arabia have expanded their bilateral cooperation in the field of science & technology with new collaborations in the advanced areas of information technology, biotechnology, nanotechnology and space technology.
I would like to thank and commend the Indian community in the Kingdom for its positive role in strengthening our bilateral relations. The leadership and the people of Saudi Arabia always explicitly acknowledge and appreciate the contribution of the Indian community to the growth and development of the Kingdom. The Indian economy, too, has benefited from the remittances sent by Indians residing in the Kingdom that has augmented India’s forex reserves thereby strengthening the economy. The strength of Indian community has grown to 1.8 million registering an increase of more than 10 percent in the last year itself. Indians are the most preferred expatriate community in the Kingdom due to their skills, honesty, diligence and hard-working nature.
On the day of remembrance of our own freedom struggle and independence, I wish to reiterate India’s strong and unwavering support for our Palestinian brothers in their struggle to achieve their legitimate national rights. India’s empathy with the Palestinian cause and its support for the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to a homeland is an integral part of its foreign policy. India appreciates the key role played by Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of King Abdullah, in achieving durable solutions to the conflicts in the region.
India has created a niche for itself in the comity of nations and is known for its principled stand on global issues. The Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has succinctly elucidated India’s global vision in his recent address at the G8 meeting held on July 7, 2009:
“India’s view of the world has always been guided by the wisdom of that ancient Indian saying — Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — ‘the whole world is one family’. This idea found expression in Jawaharlal Nehru’s very first address as prime minister: “Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world, for all the nations and peoples are too closely knit together today for any of them to imagine that it can live apart. Peace has been said to be indivisible; so is freedom, so is prosperity now and so also is disaster in this One World that can no longer be split into isolated fragments. That eternal message of the Indian people will guide us in our attempt to seek inclusive global solutions to intractable global problems, and give new hope to humanity.” Jai Hind!
M.O.H. Farook
Ambassador of India