The centuries old two-way trade was mutually beneficial for the people of India and Arabian Peninsula and enriched their knowledge and fulfilled their day-to-day life requirements. India used to import pearls and dates from the Arabian Peninsula while satiating the Arab necessities like foodstuff, timber, textiles and also supplied other luxury items like silk and jewelry.
The shared feelings of respect and mutual admiration for the role played by the leadership of the two countries in the first half of the 20th century brought the two countries closer. India deeply admired the efforts of King Abdul Aziz to unify the disintegrated tribes of the peninsula and bring them under his leadership, which eventually led to the formation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Indian government has supported the endeavors undertaken by the leadership of Saudi Arabia to improve the overall aspects of Haj management, which has made pilgrimage for the Muslims from across the world, a safe and comfortable experience.
The leaderships of the two countries have displayed unwavering commitment to strengthen the historical bonds of friendship. The high-level bilateral engagements between the two countries commenced when King Saud visited India in 1955, which was followed a year later, by the visit of Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to the Kingdom. Later visits were those of then Crown Prince Faisal to India in 1959 and of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1982.
The foundations of the contemporary relationship were laid by the historical visit of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz to India in January 2006, when he was the chief guest at India’s Republic Day. The visit acted as a catalyst of change in the bilateral relations between the two countries. Through the “Delhi Declaration” signed by the two leaders at the end of the visit, committed themselves to pursuing a joint strategic vision to promote bilateral relations for mutual benefit as well as for the peace and security of the region as a whole. Based on the framework provided by the Delhi Declaration, bilateral relations between the two countries have been strengthened further with increase in ministerial visits and stronger economic ties based on substantial trade relations and investments.
The visit of Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh to Saudi Arabia in February-March 2010 and the signing of the “Riyadh Declaration” during the visit further gave a boost to the momentum of bilateral relations. It elevated the engagement between the two countries to the level of Strategic partnership and articulated their commitment to promote bilateral ties in political, economic, security, defense and cultural areas.
India and Saudi Arabia are witnessing a new chapter in their bilateral relations. Saudi Arabia is India’s fourth largest trade partner, with bilateral trade being valued at $18.3 billion for the period April-December, 2010-11. There are over 565 small and medium Indian enterprises operating in the Kingdom and the total 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.
There is increased level of cooperation in the field of information services, biotechnology, nanotechnology and space. India possesses one of the largest pool of scientific and technical manpower in the world and it is well known for their technological prowess. Many Indian expatriates, who are specialists in IT, are contributing to the growth of Saudi IT and knowledge based industries. The development of the knowledge economy promises to be a major joint endeavor.
The new areas of cooperation, which the two countries are now pursuing includes education, science and technology. The two countries are also expected to commit themselves to join forces to combat the scourge of extremism and violence, which constitute a threat to all countries.
It is not astonishing that the Indian expatriate community in Saudi Arabia, numbered approximately 2 million, has been playing a major role in bringing the two countries closer. They have been participating in all the major developmental projects in the Kingdom. In turn, the Kingdom is the largest source of crude oil for India, meeting more than one-fifth of India’s oil requirements. Recently, the Saudi government increased the oil quota for India when there were reports of possible supply disruptions, ensuring that India gets steady supply of oil.
The existing relations have further been provided a boost by the exchange of high level visits in 2011. The Indian side, both Minister of External Affairs S.M. Krishna and Minister of State for External Affairs Shri E. Ahamed have visited Saudi Arabia and from the Saudi side Prince Bandar bin Sultan, secretary-general of National Security Council, as a special envoy of King Abdullah and the Grand Imam of the Holy Mosque of Makkah Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais visited India.
The multilevel engagement of the leaders and peoples of the two countries; historical ties that go back to several millennia; our common vision for the region; cultural and societal values; and a strong desire on both sides to work together for the mutual benefit of our people will further strengthen the relations between India and Saudi Arabia in the future.
