Indo-Saudi Relations: Indo-Saudi relations are multifaceted and cordial. The 1950s and early 6Os saw the visits of King Saud (1955) and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru (1956). Later, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited the Kingdom in 1982. Foreign Minister Saud Al Faisal visited India from 13-15 April 1981. In December 1994, the then Finance Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, visited Saudi Arabia for the meeting of the Indo-Saudi Joint Commission. The visit of Dr. Manmohan Singh was followed by the visit to India of Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, son of Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, in October 1996. Some other high level visits were those of the Saudi Petroleum Minister to India in December 1996, and the visit of the Saudi Haj Minister, in December 1996, as Special Envoy of King Fahd. From the Indian side, Lok Sabha Speaker visited in October 1996. The then MOS for External Affairs, Shri Salim Sherwani visited Saudi Arabia in November 1997.
Bilateral visits in recent years: Saudi Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nizar Obeid Madani, paid a visit to India from February 28 to March 1, 2000. Later, EAM Shri Jaswant Singh paid a visit to Saudi Arabia on 19-21 January 2001, during which he held talks with the top Saudi leadership. Deputy Chairperson, Rajya Sabha, Dr. (Mrs.) Najma Heptulla visited Saudi Arabia as ‘Special Envoy of the Prime Minister’ from Jan. 24-30, 2002. Bilateral relations were reviewed during her subsequent visit to the Kingdom from September 6-11, 2002 in her capacity as President of IPU Council.
A delegation of the Shoura Council visited New Delhi (January 2003) to participate in the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Parliament of India. The delegation comprised Dr. Sulaiman Al-Zaiedi and Abdulrahman Al-Mishaigih. The Shoura Council of KSA is a member of the Asian Parliamentary Union (APU).
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Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri Vinod Khanna, visited Saudi Arabia during September 22-23,…
Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri Vinod Khanna, visited Saudi Arabia during September 22-23, 2003. During the visit, he met with Haj Minister Iyad Madani and signed an agreement relating to arrangements for transportation and accommodation of Haj pilgrims. A MoU was also signed in his presence, relating to SMEs/SSI cooperation between National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) and Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI).
H.E. Mr Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Secretary General, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) visited India from February 15-18, 2004. This followed the landmark ‘GCC-India Political Dialogue’ involving the External Affairs Minister of India with the GCC Chairman, the Secretary General and Ambassadors/representatives from GCC countries was successfully held, for the first time, on the sidelines of the UNGA on September 26, 2003.
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Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri E. Ahamed, visited Saudi Arabia on June 13-16,…
Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri E. Ahamed, visited Saudi Arabia on June 13-16, 2004. The Minister called on the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz on June 13, 2004, and handed over a letter from the Prime Minister of India. During the visit, MOS met with Haj Minister Iyad Madani and signed an agreement relating to arrangements for transportation and accommodation of Haj pilgrims.
The Saudi Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al Naimi visited India on January 6, 2005 to attend First Round Table of Asian Ministers on Regional Cooperation in the Oil and Gas Economy held in New Delhi.
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Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister, Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar visited Saudi Arabia during March 28-31,…
Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister, Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar visited Saudi Arabia during March 28-31, 2005 at the invitation of Engineer Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Naimi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. During the visit, Shri Aiyar met with Crown Prince Abdullah, Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal and Governor of Eastern Province. Bilateral, regional and international issues were discussed during the meetings. He also had detailed discussions with Al-Naimi, Minister of Petroleum regarding the bilateral cooperation in hydro-carbon sector. A MoU between IOC and Saudi Aramco was signed in the presence of two Ministers. The Minister also visited Shaybah oil fields and the headquarters of Saudi Aramco in Dhahran.
The Joint Commission for economic, trade, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation (JCM) established in 1981 between India and Saudi Arabia held its sixth session in Riyadh on April 12, 2005. Finance Minister Shri P. Chidambaram led the Indian side while the Minister of Economy & Planning & Acting Minister of Commerce & Industry, Mr. Khaled M. Al-Gosaibi, led the Saudi side. The Minister was accompanied by a 5-member official delegation and a 19-member business delegation from FICCI. During the visit, the Finance Minister called on Crown Prince Abdullah, Defence Minister Prince Sultan and Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal and held wide ranging discussions on bilateral, regional and international issues. The Minister also held a bilateral meeting with his Saudi counterpart Al-Gosaibi. An MoU on the establishment of Joint Business Council between Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce & Industry (CSCCI) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) was signed in the presence of the two Ministers. The Minister also called on Secretary General of Gulf Cooperation Council, HE Mr. Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al-Attiyah and discussed issues of mutual interest.
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Indo-Saudi Cooperation in other fields : India and Saudi Arabia are actively cooperating in the…
Indo-Saudi Cooperation in other fields : India and Saudi Arabia are actively cooperating in the field of science and technology. CSIR and the Saudi Arabian Standards Organisation (SASO) have an ongoing programme of technical cooperation (POC) since June 1993. Under this programme, Indian experts in different scientific areas, particularly in the field of measurement and calibration, are deputed to Saudi Arabia on regular basis. Similarly, several Saudi experts and have undergone advanced training in India. National Physical Laboratory has provided expertise and technology for two important SASO projects related to calibration and teleclock sytem. CSIR and the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) signed a MoU for bilateral cooperation in 1997 and have an ongoing programme of cooperation, particularly in the field of space science, remote sensing and installation of Internet. Recently a three-member delegation from CSIR, NPL and CFTRI visited SASO during January 2004 and both sides agreed to renew the POC.
Commercial and Economic Relations: India is the 4th largest trading partner for Saudi Arabia. The value of two-way trade between the two countries in 2003-04 was more than US $ 6.63 billion.
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During the last couple of years, a number of trade and industry delegations have visited…
During the last couple of years, a number of trade and industry delegations have visited Saudi Arabia to explore opportunities for long-term partnerships and cooperation, including joint ventures. Some of the major delegations to visit the Kingdom during the last two years were, inter alia,
(i) Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) [April 2001 & December 2002];
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(ii) Powerloom Development & Export Promotion Council (PDEXCIL); [May 2001]; (iii) Gem & Jewellery Export…
(ii) Powerloom Development & Export Promotion Council (PDEXCIL); [May 2001];
(iii) Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council of India (GJEPC); [September 2001];
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(iv) Synthetic & Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council (SRTEPC); [September 2001]; (v) Indian Electrical &…
(iv) Synthetic & Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council (SRTEPC); [September 2001];
(v) Indian Electrical & Electronics Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA) [May 2002 & January 2003];
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(vi) Indian Department of Posts [January 2002]; (vii) Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) [June…
(vi) Indian Department of Posts [January 2002];
(vii) Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) [June 2003 and September 2003]; and
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(viii) Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) delegation [September 2003]. Minister of State for Small Scale…
(viii) Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) delegation [September 2003].
Minister of State for Small Scale Industries, Smt Vasundhara Raje, accompanied by a composite delegation including Secretary (SSI) and businessmen from CII, visited Riyadh from Oct. 5-7, 2002. MOS inaugurated ‘LIBAAS—Indian Costumes through the Centuries’ Exhibition organized by Embassy in cooperation with National Museum, Riyadh. As a follow up to MOS (SSI)’s visit, a delegation of Saudi entrepreneurs from the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry visited India [19-25 December 2002].
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The Secretary General of Riyadh Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Mr Hussein A. Al-Athel, attended…
The Secretary General of Riyadh Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Mr Hussein A. Al-Athel, attended the “Partnership Summit” organised by CII at Hyderabad from 6-8 January 2003. Later, Deputy Minister for Industrial Affairs, Saleh E Al-Husseini, was on a 5-day visit to India (25-29 April 2003) accompanied by a 13-member official delegation.
A high level Saudi business delegation led by Mr. Abdul Rahman A. Al Jeraisy, Chairman, Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce & Industry and Chairman - Jeraisy Group, visited India from 12-18 October, 2003. The delegation consisted of 28 leading Saudi businessmen representing various sectors of industry and trade.
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The first GCC-India Industrial Conference comprising ministerial and business delegations from the GCC States and…
The first GCC-India Industrial Conference comprising ministerial and business delegations from the GCC States and India, was held in Mumbai on February 17-18, 2004. The Conference was co-chaired from Indian side by H E Mr Arun Jaitley, Minister of Commerce and Industry and from the GCC side by H E Mr Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman Al-Taweel, Minister of Trade and Industry of Kuwait. It was attended among others by H E Mr Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al Attiyah, GCC Secretary General and H. E. Mr Hashim bin Abdullah Al Yamani, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Saudi Arabia. The Conference focused on trade, investment, industrial and technological cooperation.
Giving a boost to their commercial and economic ties, India and the Gulf Cooperation Council signed on August 25, 2004 a Framework Agreement on Economic Cooperation. The Agreement was signed in New Delhi by Shri Kamal Nath, Hon’ble Minister for Commerce & Industry and His Excellency Mr Mohammed Al-Sabbah Al-Salem Al-Sabbah, the visiting Foreign Minister of Kuwait and Chair of the GCC in the presence of His Excellency Mr Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
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Soon after new investment laws came into force into Saudi Arabia in mid-2000, a number…
Soon after new investment laws came into force into Saudi Arabia in mid-2000, a number of Indian firms have taken advantage of the new Saudi laws providing for 100% foreign ownership of projects in the Kingdom. Since then, Indian companies have established 82 joint ventures in Saudi Arabia in different sectors such as management and consultancy services, construction projects, telecommunications, information technology, pharmaceuticals etc. There are also collaborations between Indian and Saudi companies in the areas of designing, consultancy, financial services and software development. In addition, there are around 55 Indo-Saudi joint ventures in India, in the fields of paper manufacture, chemicals, computer software, granite processing, industrial products and machinery, cement, metallurgical industries.