On the joyous occasion of the 75th Independence Day of India and the commencement of the Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav celebrations, I would like to extend my warm greetings and felicitations to all Indian citizens and Persons of Indian Origin in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

For Indians, this day represents struggle, sacrifice, achievement, and the dawn of a new beginning when India became a free, sovereign, and independent nation to decide its future course after two centuries of colonial rule.

Independent India is a celebration of our indigenous diversity and multiculturalism. Over the years we have nurtured the spirit of freedom and strengthening our democracy as we continue our march towards progress and development with new vigor and aspiration and with the mantra of 'Nation First, Always First'.

Rabindranath Tagore described India as a country “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high, where knowledge is free.” As millions of Indians across the world are singing the National Anthem or 'Rashtra Gaan' penned by Tagore to commemorate our freedom, the National Anthem itself is a true dedication to the spirit of a pluralistic India. The mention of Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, Maratha, Dravida, Utkala, and Banga in the National Anthem is a recognition of the existence of different geographic regions, ethnicities, and cultures in India that highlight the meaning of India as a complex and composite entity.

This year as we commence celebrating 75 years of our Independence, we are also commemorating the semi-sesquicentennial of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Our relations are built on the long history of the movement of people between India and the Kingdom for mercantile trade and Hajj pilgrimage. The people of Hijaz were fascinated by India’s spices, pearls, precious stones, silk, sandalwood, oud, and perfumes.

Several Indian rulers and nobles had built and endowed over hundred rest houses in the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah which were known as 'Rubats'. Even now some of them exist such as the Bohra, Bhopal, Arcot, and Hyderabad Rubats.

Another significant linkage between India and Makkah has been the construction of madrasas and colleges by Indian rulers in the medieval period from as early as the 15th century A.D., prominent of which include the Bangaliyya Madrasa, Gulbargiyya Madrasa, and the madrasa of the Sultan of Cambay. These were followed in the early 19th century by the renowned Madrasa Al-Sawlatiyah, which is still running in Makkah.

There has always been mutual respect and understanding between the leadership of our two countries. While the 17-day long visit of King Saud Bin Abdulaziz to India in the winter of 1955, created awe within the region, the return visit of Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in September 1956 reinforced the resolve of the two countries to work together to promote peace, progress, and freedom across the world while adhering to the principles of the Bandung Conference. The visit of Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi in April 1982 after a gap of 26 years generated considerable excitement not only in the Kingdom but also in the region.

A major turning point in the bilateral relations was the landmark visit of King Abdullah to India in January 2006 as the chief guest for India’s Republic Day celebrations during which the two countries decided to develop a strategic energy partnership. The return visit of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to Riyadh in February 2010 heralded a new era of strategic partnership between the two countries. The ‘Delhi’ and the ‘Riyadh’ declarations made during these visits continue to remain important and relevant bilateral documents.

However, the foundation of the strong, multi-faceted and strategic partnership between the two countries was laid by four important bilateral visits — visit of Prince Salman Bin Abdulaziz, the then Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister & Defense Minister (current King) to Delhi in February 2014, visit of Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman in February 2019 and the two visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Riyadh in April 2016 and October 2019.

The formation of the Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) between the two countries in October 2019 as the highest bilateral mechanism between the two countries marks the upgradation of the bilateral relationship to new heights. The two ministerial committees under the SPC — Political, Security & Socio-Culture and Economic — have started engaging at the senior officers’ level as well as at the level of Joint Working Groups, focussing on diverse areas such as security and defence cooperation, energy, cultural cooperation, agriculture and food security, industry & infrastructure, Technology & IT, health and education.

Saudi Arabia is the fourth largest trading partner of India after China, the USA, and the UAE. India regards Saudi Arabia as a reliable and long-term energy partner in ensuring its energy security. For FY 2020-21, trade in hydrocarbons with Saudi Arabia accounted for around 61.14% of India’s bilateral trade. Saudi Arabia is the second-largest crude sourcing destination next to Iraq for India. India imported 34.2 MMT of crude oil in the financial year 2020-21, accounting for 18.20% of the total crude imports. Saudi Arabia is also the third-largest LPG sourcing destination for India after Qatar & the UAE accounting for 22.3% of the total LPG imports for 2020-21.

From a purely buyer-seller relationship, we have moved towards a strategic partnership in the hydrocarbons sector with investments from Saudi Aramco in downstream oil and gas projects and its inclination to participate in India’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves.

Both countries have robust defense cooperation focussed on maritime security cooperation, military training, and possible collaboration in the area of defence industries. The first-ever visit of the Indian Chief of Army Staff Gen. M.M. Naravane to the Kingdom in December 2020 was aimed at further strengthening our bilateral defense ties in areas such as sharing of military intelligence, cybersecurity, and combating terrorism.

The successful conduct of the first joint Naval Exercises ‘Al-Mohed Al-Hindi 2021’ between the two countries at the Jubail port earlier this month served to enhance interoperability between the two naval forces and helped in better understanding of procedures for Maritime Security Operations. The next step would be to conduct Land Forces exercises with the theme of counter-terrorism in the months ahead.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Saudi Space Commission have held talks to explore the possibility of inking a county-level MOU in space cooperation. Likewise, cooperation in the field of civil nuclear energy is also an area of interest for both countries.

Healthcare is another area of significance in our bilateral cooperation under the Strategic Partnership Council. India supplied 4.5 million doses of Covishield (AstraZeneca) vaccine to the Kingdom as part of our ‘Vaccine Maitri’. India has also offered technical know-how and technology transfer for Covaxin, India’s first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine. Cooperation in the field of vaccine development, joint manufacture of pharmaceuticals, and cooperation in setting up of super-specialty hospitals in the Kingdom also remain areas of interest for private sectors of both countries.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for facilitating the supply of liquid medical oxygen and oxygen cyllinders and tanks during the devastating second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

Cooperation in the field of complementary and alternative medicine is another promising area of cooperation between our countries. The signing of an MoU for collaboration in Yoga between the two countries on the sidelines of the 7th International Yoga Day is a testimony to the growing popularity of Yoga in the Kingdom. The MOU would pave the way for the establishment of formal yoga standards and courses in the Kingdom.

We endeavor to further engage the people of the two countries in meaningful collaborations in the fields of sport, particularly cricket and football, besides entertainment, cinema, and tourism.

I would like to compliment the Indian community in the Kingdom for generating considerable goodwill in our bilateral relationship through its sincerity, hard work, and commitment. The cooperation extended by the community volunteers across the Kingdom during the 'Vande Bharat Mission' under which nearly 600,000 Indians travelled back to the country was noteworthy.

I would like to avail of this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman for their steadfast support in upgrading the bilateral relationship and for ensuring the welfare of all residents in the Kingdom, including Indian nationals during these challenging times in the aftermath of COVID pandemic.

Dr. Ausaf Sayeed

Ambassador of India