India must safeguard its interests in Saudi Arabia

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India must safeguard its interests in Saudi Arabia - The Times of India

Mir Ayoob Ali Khan | Feb 1, 2015, 02.44 AM IST

The death of King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz on January 23 and the subsequent transfer of power, the same day, to his half-brother and Crown Prince Salman, have resulted in concerns among observers over the future of India and Saudi Arabia's ties.

The apprehensions are but natural given that a massive change took place in the bilateral relations during the reign of King Abdullah who took charge in 2005. He visited India the following year and again in 2010 as chief guest for the Republic Day parade in New Delhi. It was during his reign that the two countries started to shed the baggage of the past that had hindered the growth of their relationship up until then.

Though on the surface, the ties never went sour, India wasn't too pleased with Saudi Arabia tilting in favour of Pakistan over a variety of issues. The nation's stand on the Bangladesh war of Independence, the uprising in Kashmir and the invasion of Afghanistan by the then Soviet Union did not go down well with India. The Kingdom supported the Mujahideen who were fighting the Soviet forces and India had purportedly taken a neutral stand over the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan. India had also tried to show its 'neutrality' during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Again the two were not on the same page as Saudi Arabia was busy bolstering Allied forces to restore the sovereignty of Kuwait.

Traditionally, India had never tried to get closer to the Kingdom even before the shadow of wars and Kashmir had fallen on the bilateral ties. India was drawn more towards Arab nationalism that had been spearheaded by Jamal Abdul Nasser. For Indian policy makers, Saudi Arabia, a deeply conservative society, was a "permanent" ally of Pakistan. While India took a long time to realise and adapt to the change taking place in the Arab world, Saudi Arabia, fuelled by petrol economy was becoming a major political power in the region. Also, for India, the cold war era had pushed it away from many countries because of their "special relations" with the US.

But even during those not-so-good-times, Saudi Arabia preferred Indian labour force over many Arab and non-Arab countries. So much so that with a strength of 2.8 million today, India forms the biggest expatriate community in Saudi Arabia. Their remittances to India run into billions of dollars annually.

The other area that had remained unaffected was the oil supply to India from Saudi Arabia, which today meets over 25% of the energy requirement.

King Abdullah had shown pragmatism and farsightedness in handling the internal and external affairs of his country. At the same time, India had begun to drop its inhibitions about the Saudi society and develop closer ties. As Crown Prince, Salman Bin Abdul Aziz visited India with a powerful delegation in 2012. He too had appreciated the importance of India in the planning of bilateral, regional and international relations of his country. The two countries are now strategic partners.

However, the question that now arises is: Would the change in power structure _ in India last year and in Saudi Arabia a week ago _ have any effect on the speed at which the two nations have witnessed rapid growth in bilateral relations? The answer is: Maybe not.

And that despite the fact that the two countries, irrespective of taking different stands on a variety of global and regional issues, need each other.

King Salman has already said that he would continue the policy of his predecessor. India, on the other hand, has proved that it can be a major partner for Saudi Arabia with its labour force as well as special services, from the private and public sector companies.

But the focus of India's foreign policy has always been on the Indian diaspora in the US. Those living in the Gulf have been given little attention.

With King Salman in the seat of power, there could be more emphasis on 'Saudiisation' of the job market. The ministry of external affairs, therefore, should look deeper into the issue and get ready for any eventuality. The turbulence in the region, particularly in Syria, Iraq and Yemen could build pressure on the new Saudi King to respond to them differently. Thus, the Indian policy makers have to take the volatility in the region into consideration and ensure that its interests-that related to energy supply and the Indian workforce-are promptly and properly safeguarded. The further strengthening of bilateral relations is in the interest of both the countries.
 

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