The millennia-old socioeconomic and cultural ties between India and Saudi Arabia have continued to grow stronger in modern times. The historic visit by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to India in 2006 and the visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Saudi Arabia last year reflect the strong commitment of the two leaderships to further deepen and strengthen this relationship. The signing of the “Delhi Declaration” during King Abdullah’s visit set out a roadmap for our bilateral ties. Later, both leaders signed the “Riyadh Declaration,” agreeing to raise bilateral ties to the level of a strategic partnership, with enhanced political, economic, security and cultural engagements.

There has been steady exchange of high-level visits from both sides to maintain the momentum in bilateral relations. The visits from the Saudi side include those of Riyadh Gov. Prince Salman in April 2010 and of Commerce Minister Abdullah Zainal Alireza in November 2010. From the Indian side, the then Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor visited Jeddah in March 2010 to sign the Haj agreement, while Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi, now also civil aviation minister, visited the Kingdom in September 2010 and met Saudi leaders to discuss community-related issues.

Our economic ties are reflected in the strong growth registered in bilateral trade and the visits of several business delegations from both sides. India is currently the fifth largest trade partner of the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia plays an important role in meeting our energy requirements, being the source for nearly 20 percent of our crude oil imports. The Saudi leadership has agreed to increase oil supplies to meet the growing requirements of the Indian economy. The innovative follow-up mechanism for the Joint Commission Meeting met in September 2010 to review progress in the implementation of the agreements at the Joint Commission and to remove hurdles that may have arisen.

Last year, we witnessed a substantial increase in contracts won by Indian companies in the Kingdom in the fields of infrastructure and services. Indian investments in Saudi Arabia have now crossed $2.5 billion, with the presence of major Indian companies in sectors such as IT, construction, contracting services, financial services and engineering goods etc. I believe there is tremendous scope for greater cooperation and collaboration between the corporate sectors of both countries, even as both governments are working to establish an Indo-Saudi Investment Fund to boost bilateral investments.

There is now increased cooperation between Indian and Saudi educational and research institutions in the advanced areas of science and technology such as IT, biotechnology, nanotechnology and space. I am hopeful that both countries can be partners in the development of the Kingdom’s human resources and its knowledge-based industries considering India’s skilled, scientific and technical manpower and its own growth experience as a knowledge-based economy.

The Indian diaspora in the Kingdom has played a key role in the development of our bilateral ties. I applaud our community for consistently upholding the best values of our nation and promoting its interests in the Kingdom. The positive contribution of the two million strong Indian community in Saudi Arabia to the growth and development of both economies is recognized by both leaderships. We are thankful to the Saudi government for the “amnesty” announced for overstayers and are working with the authorities to meet the requirements of Indians anxious to avail of the amnesty.

I am confident that our bilateral relations will evolve into a strategic partnership in coming years and make a positive contribution to world peace and harmony.

Talmiz Ahmad

Ambassador of India