Ambassador tells why Saudis should visit India

Indian Ambassador Hamid Ali Rao urged Saudis to visit India while inaugurating the India Tourism Event in Riyadh.
“Saudi Arabia is part of our extended neighborhood. We have lot of common factors. We have historical and civilizational links,” Rao said.
He said that the number of Saudis visiting India has increased from 27,000 in 2010 to 40,000 in 2012. According to him, tourism potential is massive given the proximity and the common cultural factors that exist between the two peoples.
He said that the Ministry of Tourism organized the roadshow to publicize what India offers and suggested an interactive website to update tour operators and tourists on the latest on offer. “We will be organizing regular tourism promotion events in all major cities across Saudi Arabia by utilizing the services of Indian companies and community in the coming weeks,” he said. Rao said India has a variety of cultures, languages, ethnic groups, beliefs and lifestyles.
“The past is ever present and centuries-old heritage sites, forts, palaces and monuments happily co-exist with modern India. Each region has its own colors, fragrance and beauty,” he said.
He added that UNESCO’s list contains 28 world heritage sites in India, including five natural sites.
He said that in recent years, the age-old cultural relationship has been strengthened by regular interaction at both a political and local level, as well as through cultural exchange.
He said that the landmark visit of Custodian of Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah in January 2006 to India and the return visit of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in February 2010 have strengthened bilateral relations in all spheres. “Today, we have a strategic partnership which covers the political, economic, defense and security domains,” he said.
The ambassador said that the “Saudi Cultural Week,” which took place in New Delhi in October 2011, the visit of a 40-member Saudi youth delegation in March and April of 2012 and the celebration of “Indian Cultural Week” hosted by the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information in November 2012 in Riyadh, have generated interest in developing further cultural interactions between the two countries.
The event was attended by Parvez Dewan, secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Gulam Ahmad Mir, minister for tourism and culture for Jammu and Kashmir, Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, minister of state for tourism and culture, members of the Indian tourism delegation and tour operators in the Kingdom.