Indo-Arabian relations

[Indx TechStyle]

@pmaitra @Sakal Gharelu Ustad
I found threads for most countries/regions but surprised, not to find any for India's relations with Arab Nations. Let me create one.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Store Our Oil And Take Two-Thirds For Free: UAE's Offer to India
Press Trust of India | Updated: Feb 10, 2016 19:35 IST

New Delhi: The United Arab Emirates' national oil company - Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) - has in the first deal of its kind agreed to store crude oil in India's maiden strategic storage and give two-third of the commodity to it for free.

India, which is 79 per cent dependent on imports to meet its crude oil needs, is building underground storage facilities at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, and Mangalore and Padur in Karnataka to store about 5.33 million tonnes of crude oil to guard against global price shocks and supply disruptions.

Adnoc is keen on taking half of the 1.5 million tonnes Mangalore facility, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Wednesday.

It will stock 0.75 million tonnes or 6 million barrels of oil in one compartment of Mangalore facility. Of this, 0.5 million tonnes will belong to India and it can use it in emergencies. Adnoc will use the facility as a warehouse for trading its oil.

The 1.33 million tonnes Visakhapatnam storage and 2.5 million tonnes Padur stockpile together with the 1.5 million tonnes Mangalore storage will be enough to meet nation's oil requirement of about 10 days.

After talks with visiting UAE Minister for Energy Suhail Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Mr Pradhan said the tax issue remains to be sorted out before Adnoc can begin storing oil at Mangalore.

Congress-ruled Karnataka government has not yet agreed on waiving VAT (value-added tax) on the crude oil imported for the strategic storage, which UAE wants to use to stock oil when prices are low and supply to its customers when rates are good.

"This will be beginning of our strategic ties," he said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to UAE in August last year, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 38 years, laid the foundation of closer cooperation.

The UAE had then committed to invest $75 billion in India, and Mr Pradhan on Wednesday showcased to Mr Mazrouei opportunities for that investment.

"We have offered them refinery projects, petrochemical plans, pipelines and LNG terminals for investment," he said.

On offer was 26 per cent stake for $700 million in ONGC's about-to-be-commissioned petrochemical project at Dahej in Gujarat and 24 per cent equity for $200 million in expansion being planned by BPCL of its subsidiary Bina refinery in Madhya Pradesh from 6 million tons to 7.5 million tonnes.

Also, an investment of $530-850 million can get the UAE 25-40 per cent stake in HPCL's planned petrochemical plant on the Andhra coast, he said, adding that the Gulf national can also invest in the planned 60 million tons in Maharashtra and the Jagdishpur-Haldia and Paradip-Surat gas pipelines.

"UEA makes up for 8 per cent of our oil imports. We are trying to import more oil from UAE. In 2016-17, we plan to import 2.5 million tonnes more oil than current year's purchase of 16.11 million tonnes," he said.

Mr Pradhan said areas of mutual interest were discussed during his meeting with UAE Energy Minister.

Indian firms are not present in upstream oil exploration and production business in the UAE, he said, and mentioned the interest of companies like ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) to secure producing or prospective assets there.

Also, they are interested in taking stake in Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Petroleum Operations Ltd (ADCO), he said, adding that Engineers India Ltd (EIL) was interested in engineering and consultancy contracts in UAE.

"We also offered them partnership in building of second phase of strategic crude oil storages," he said.

India is looking at building four more strategic crude oil facilities at Bikaner in Rajasthan, Rajkot in Gujarat, Padur in Karnataka and Chandikhole in Jajpur district of Odisha.

Besides Adnoc, Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) has also evinced interest in hiring a part of the maiden strategic storage.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

India to use tech prowess to cement ties with the Arab world

NEW DELHI: India is seeking to put into use its knowledge of technology to cement its ties with the Arab world. New Delhi is ready to offer help to Egypt's Al-Azhar University to set up information technology centres on the various campuses of the 10th century seminary, one of the biggest in the world to study Islam and Arabic literature.

India is already setting up an IT centre on the main campus of Al-Azhar University in Cairo under a pact signed in 2013. The plan now is to extend its expertise in building such facilities across Egypt in all the other institutions of the Al-Azhar Mosque, which the university is associated with.

The offer will be made when Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi here on Friday, according to people familiar with the matter. Al-Azhar University was established in 970 AD as a school attached to the mosque and has emerged over the centuries as one of Sunni Islam's most important universities, attracting students from across continents.

It had sided with the military during the 2013 protests to remove the then President Mohamed Morsi of Muslim Brotherhood. The Grand Sheikh of the Al-Azhar Mosque, Ahmed Muhammad Ahmed el-Tayeb, has been impressed with the idea of the India assisted IT centre on the main campus of the varsity and has expressed interest in Delhi doing the same in other institutions affiliated with the university.

Cairo is also keen to learn from India's expertise in the IT sector and Sisi's visit could give a boost to such cooperation amid drive by his government to modernize Egypt's economy. India has been extending IT expertise across nations in Southeast Asia, Africa and parts of West Asia.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Image Credit: Flickr/ Narendra Modi
India, Saudi Arabia, and the Fight Against Terrorism
India and Saudi Arabia are oiling a fledgling partnership on counterterrorism issues. How far can cooperation go?

On November 26, 2008, a group of infiltrators bearing assault rifles and grenades attacked multiple targets in the Indian city of Mumbai, killing 164 people. Soon afterwards, NDTV described the incident on 26/11 as “one of the worst terrorist attacks in the history of India.”

Although the perpetrators received training in Pakistan, the funds for the attack came from Saudi Arabia. In 2010,The Guardian, citing leaked documents, revealed that then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had signed a memo pointing to Saudi-based donors as “the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide.” The highlight of the report was Saudi funding of Lakshkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the group responsible for 26/11 attacks.

India Needs Saudi Arabia

Last month, during Modi’s visit to Riyadh, India and Saudi Arabia discussed a number of issues. But as expected, the focus was on counterterrorism. Needless to say, if New Delhi wants to be effective in tackling terrorism, a partnership with Riyadh holds the key. Unless governments challenge the ability of terrorists to plan and operate from foreign bases, measures to fight terrorism remain incomplete and deficient. Saudi Arabia is one such base.

There have been reports that members of Indian Mujahideen, known as IM, have traveled to Saudi Arabia, mostly on Pakistani passports. There, they have found recruits and raised funds. Further, the Kingdom has been a safe-haven for jihadists targeting India and other countries – including members of the Pakistan-based LeT.

Apart from this, with a pious and wealthy populace, Saudi Arabia is also a major source of funds for jihadists worldwide. Terror outfits targeting India have received aid from donors residing in the Kingdom. There are numerous means through which these funds travel from Saudi Arabia to India. A recent investigation by India Today revealed that funds for Indian terror groups are sent through Hajj pilgrims. Previously, India had asked the authorities in Saudi Arabia to keep a close watch on them. Today, there are also concerns that these pilgrims could become a target of radicalization. Groups like Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and IM could hunt for potential recruits among the 150,000 devout Indians visiting Mecca every year.

Thus, an active partnership with the Kingdom holds the key to enhancing the effectiveness of India’s counterterrorism drive. New Delhi needs Saudi help to challenge the recruiting and fund-raising activities in the kingdom that have sustained these groups targeting India.

Getting Beyond the Traditional Impediments

Although a recent development, counterterrorism cooperation is not a new facet of the bilateral relationship. In 2010, during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Riyadh, leaders of both countries signed the pivotal Riyadh Declaration. Among other things, they agreed to “develop joint strategies” to combat terrorism. Ever since, both countries have shared information leading to the arrest and deportation of terror suspects wanted in India – including Abu Sufiyan, one of seven LeT operatives sought by New Delhi. Further, soon after the attack in Pathankot earlier this year, the Saudi leadership expressed its readiness to cooperate with the investigation – a gesture seen by many as signalling the Saudi desire to collaborate against terror.

Nevertheless, certain impediments have constrained the room for cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia. The Saudi alliance with Pakistan and its position on Kashmir are chief among them.

Although the counterterrorism partnership between India-Saudi Arabia is highly touted, the picture is not as rosy as many commentators would have us believe. Groups like LeT and IM that target India are nurtured and sustained by the Pakistani military. Their operatives have traveled to Saudi Arabia – possibly with the connivance of Saudi authorities – on passports supplied by their patrons in Islamabad. Although the deportation of terror suspects – more or less frequent since 2011 – is cited as evidence of a growing partnership between New Delhi and Riyadh, it must not be ignored that these moves are a result of sustained pressure.

On many occasions, Indian diplomats have decried Saudi Arabia’s reluctance to act against terror suspects. Recently one Indian official complained, “Though Saudi Arabia does not wish to be seen as sheltering terrorists, it is also unwilling to annoy Pakistan by handing over suspects with first-hand knowledge of the Inter-Services Intelligence’s links with terrorist groups targeting us.”

The Saudi-Pakistan alliance has long raised concerns in New Delhi. Well before the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Riyadh and Islamabad had forged an active partnership based on common interest, geographic proximity, and shared Islamic values. A Saudi official once described the alliance as “probably one of the closest relationships in the world between any two countries.”

Since the 1960s, Pakistan has trained the Saudi security forces. Today, the military/intelligence partnership between both countries runs very deep. Pakistan has been a dependable ally for Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom’s “best bet for a long term security guarantee.” Recently, Pakistan’s Army Chief, Gen. Rasheel Sharif declared that “any threat to Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity would evoke a strong response from Pakistan.” In return for its service, Islamabad gets billions of dollars’ worth of aid from the coffers of Saudi state, which has been a relief for the cash-strapped republic.

Pakistan will only continue to grow as an important partner for Saudi Arabia. Since the day President Franklin D. Roosevelt and King Abdul Aziz met for the first time in 1945, the United States has been the principal guarantor of Saudi security. However, with its reluctance to shore up Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak – a long-time ally of the United States – Washington has demonstrated its changing interests. Further, U.S. support for the nuclear deal with Iran has provoked further concerns regarding American commitment to the security of its Gulf allies. Now with Iran rising and America reluctant, Saudi Arabia needs Pakistan more than ever. Quoting an Indian diplomat, an Indian daily reported, “Locked in an intense geopolitical struggle with Iran … Saudi Arabia has become hesitant to jeopardize its relationship with Pakistan by cracking down on the LeT.”

The nature of the Saudi state is another impediment. The ruling elites in Riyadh draw from Islamic canons to legitimize their grip on power. Thus, the Saudi leadership would recoil at the idea of targeting Islamist groups like Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) that don’t challenge its authority. Further, JuD is a fundraising subsidiary of LeT that is registered as an Islamic charity. It would be paradoxical for an Islamic regime to clamp down on an Islamist group that enjoys widespread popularity in the Islamic world. JuD’s reputation is credited to its charity and relief works that have earned it the hearts and minds of people in the Islamic world.

Moreover, with the war raging in Yemen, JuD has been a useful ally for the Saudi government. The group has publicly defended the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen, portraying the crisis there as a “result of a Jewish-Crusader alliance out to destroy the Muslim holy places.” Last year, the group also campaigned aggressively to court Pakistani involvement in the fray.

New Developments Favor India

Although there are hurdles, Saudi Arabia is a valuable partner for India and vice versa. India is on course to become the third largest consumer of oil. As one of the largest consumers of oil and a country with fast-growing demand, India is a prized market for Saudi oil.

Further, now that Saudi Arabia has set out to diversify its economy, courting foreign investors has become a priority for the regime there. Unlike Pakistan, India has the necessary expertise and capital to invest in the Kingdom. Thus, being a major market for Saudi oil and a potential investor, India could trump Pakistan in the Saudi calculus.

Apart from these, recent developments in Saudi-Pakistan relations are also reassuring for the advocates of closer ties between India and Saudi Arabia. In March 2015, Pakistan’s parliament rejected the Saudi request for participation in the on-going Yemeni civil war. Ever since, it is widely argued that Saudi-Pakistan ties have been headed downhill.

Pakistani reluctance is due in part to its concerns over domestic security. As a nation with the second-largest Shia population, Pakistan understands the cost of provoking Iran. Moreover, Pakistan’s growing ties with Iran help explain its reluctance to fight a supposed Iranian proxy.

After Iran reached a framework agreement with P5+1, last year, Pakistan has publicly sought out Iranian partnership in a number of areas. Earlier this year, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was invited to Islamabad for talks. Pakistan and Iran share common ground over a number of issues, and as Pakistan’s demand for natural gas and electricity go up, its dependence on Iran is expected to scale higher. A natural gas pipeline from Bushehr in Iran to Punjab in Pakistan is awaiting completion. Further, Iran has agreed to supply Pakistan with 3,000 MW of electricity at a competitive price – vital for a country frustrated with power crises. A partnership with Tehran would yield tangible benefits for Islamabad and the leadership there is aware of that.

However, despite all these factors, it is not safe to assume that Saudi-Pakistan ties are moving downhill. Both countries still need each other and their alliance will only take a minor blow from Pakistan’s growing interest in Iran. It will not be easy for Saudi Arabia to find a suitable partner who could substitute for Pakistan. Nevertheless, now that Islamabad has begun flirting with Tehran, it offers Saudi Arabia better leeway to maneuver in its relations with India – including on counterterrorism.

Room for Cautious Optimism

Apparently, talks on counterterrorism stole the limelight during Modi’s Riyadh visit last month. It is likely that both countries will continue to cooperate along the already established lines. During Modi’s visit, India and Saudi Arabia converged on the need to tackle terror financing. However, it remains to be seen if the Saudi leadership will clamp down on groups like JuD, which are popular Islamic charities and useful allies. Unless and until it challenges the ability of these groups to recruit and raise funds in the Kingdom, the counterterrorism partnership between New Delhi and Riyadh will remain hollow.

In the end, despite the broad convergence of views, it must be noted that the core interests of both countries diverge in places. Saudi Arabia may find useful some of the groups that India shuns. Further, Riyadh’s dependence on Islamabad means that the Saudi leadership would hesitate to target organizations with links to ISI.

Nevertheless, as we have seen, some of the recent developments could pave the way for better cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia on the counterterror front. These offer room for cautious optimism.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Focus on India-UAE security ties as Crown Prince arrives
Al Nahyan expressed his keenness to the strengthen strategic relationship between the two countries.
WRITTEN BY SHUBHAJIT ROY | NEW DELHI |Published On:February 11, 2016 1:39 AM

In a departure from protocol, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the airport as he arrived in New Delhi for a three-day state visit. Hours after his arrival, Al Nahyan expressed his keenness to the strengthen strategic relationship between the two countries.

“India’s political and economic weight allows it to play a vital role towards regional and international security and stability. Bilateral relations between the UAE and India are strong and we are keen on strengthening our strategic partnership,” a statement released by the UAE embassy quoted him as saying.

The Crown Prince, who is an influential leader in the UAE and is also the country’s Deputy Supreme Commander of the armed forces, had received PM Modi at the Abu Dhabi airport, along with his five brothers, during the PM’s visit last August.

In his tweets welcoming Al Nahyan, the PM wrote: “This is Sheikh Mohammed’s 1st state visit to India & am glad he is visiting with his family…His visit will add new vigour and momentum to comprehensive strategic partnership between India & UAE.”

Hours before the Crown Prince’s arrival, India also announced its willingness to extend help to the UAE to achieve its Mars Mission in 2025.

Al Nahyan is accompanied by three of his brothers, one of whom is the Interior Minister. The delegation also includes several top ministers and over 100 business tycoons, along with CEOs of top companies. President Pranab Mukherjee will host a private lunch for Al Nahyan on Thursday. Ministry of External Affairs’ Secretary (East), Anil Wadhwa, said he does not recall such a gesture by the President in recent times. The Crown Prince will also have a working dinner with Modi on Thursday, besides having a “private meeting” in the morning.

During the dialogue, the two sides are expected to touch upon sectors from security to space, defence to nuclear energy. Over a dozen pacts are also expected to be signed. Wadhwa said that strengthening existing security cooperation will be a key focus area in view of rising threat of IS. UAE has deported about a dozen Indians with suspected links to the terror group.

Officials said that joint production of defence equipment is another focus area, and under this initiative, UAE may make investments for manufacturing in India. The Crown Prince will also be travelling to Mumbai where he will meet top business leaders. India is keen to tap investments of nearly $75 billion from the UAE.

 

[Sakal Gharelu Ustad]

@pmaitra @Sakal Gharelu Ustad
I found threads for most countries/regions but surprised, not to find any for India's relations with Arab Nations. Let me create one.

We run their countries, make money and then forget about them!!

Occasionally we send our planes and ships to rescue our people from these shit holes.

Btw, there is whole section: http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/s/west-asia-africa.38/

 

[OrangeFlorian]

We run their countries, make money and then forget about them!!

Occasionally we send our planes and ships to rescue our people from these shit holes.

What shitholes?

These countries have monarchs we have democratically elected topi wearing fist thumping statist monkeys as leaders

Not to mention these countries are capitalist and prosperous while a good chunk of people back home don't even own toilets

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Not to mention these countries are capitalist and prosperous while a good chunk of people back home don't even own toilets.

Then, get the income due to oil out of account, calculate per capita income thereafter.

 

[OrangeFlorian]

Then, get the income due to oil out of account, calculate per capita income thereafter.

They STILL have oil this doesn't become relevant until they stop having oil

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[Indx TechStyle]

They STILL have oil

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We will look ahead how long they'll last. Middle East has one of slowest (probably slowest) per capita income growth rates on entire planet.

 

[OrangeFlorian]

People move out of India and not to it there are no opportunities there. On contrast people move to the Gulf States (Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE etc) and some people move out of there.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

People move out of India and not to it there are no opportunities there.

Seems that you're yet to know a lot about Immigration Migration in and out of India.

Yes, people move to India.

 

[OrangeFlorian]

Seems that you're yet to know a lot about Immigration Migration in and out of India.

Yes, people move to India.

Yes. Nigerians in Goa and some Chinese in Calcutta and Japanese in Bengaluru are immigrants or descendants of immigrants. That's not an accomplishment


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_in_India

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[Project Dharma]

Yes. Nigerians in Goa and some Chinese in Calcutta and Japanese in Bengaluru are immigrants or descendants of immigrants. That's not an accomplishment

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Plenty of engineers moving back from the US as well but your point is valid overall. Discounting NRIs or PIOs moving back there is not a lot of immigration back to India

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Yes. Nigerians in Goa and some Chinese in Calcutta and Japanese in Bengaluru are immigrants or descendants of immigrants. That's not an accomplishment


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_in_India

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Even much more than that for much more nice reasons.

Plenty of engineers moving back from the US as well but your point is valid overall. Discounting NRIs or PIOs moving back there is not a lot of immigration back to India

Not back immigration, but real immigration from other countries I'm talkin about. India is fashionable point for such things in third world, will be even better after Asylum laws.

 

[republic_roi97]

Arab is going to shit with these oil prices, not to mention that they don't even manufacture a bolt, let alone a car. Not to mention that by 2050 oil reserves will get emptied in some parts. If it wasn't for oil, Arab would have been like syria, somalia etc, they are hardly progressive society which believes in 7th century laws. Stop advocating for them. One country Israel, is fucking them all up.

 

[Project Dharma]

Arab is going to shit with these oil prices, not to mention that they don't even manufacture a bolt, let alone a car. Not to mention that by 2050 oil reserves will get emptied in some parts. If it wasn't for oil, Arab would have been like syria, somalia etc, they are hardly progressive society which believes in 7th century laws. Stop advocating for them. One country Israel, is fucking them all up.

One country is doing God's work, every single non muslim country in the world should be working daily to fuck up every Muslim nation.

 

[indiazain]

Arabs will always be close to the Pakis at least on paper due to religious compulsions,but in reality their love for pakis is simply to do their dirty work for them which they are simply not capable of doing.I am not sure of the source but I read somewhere that they declined to buy US jest because the US was not prepared to train pakis on it so they decided to procure eurofighter .They simply cannot survive without India and china as most of their oil goes to these countries.They are about 20-30 % indians who do good in Arab world rest all are a labourers.
Never ever compare Israel with the arab world it is like comparing the value of gold with bull shit.

 

[Bharat Ek Khoj]

One country is doing God's work, every single non muslim country in the world should be working daily to fuck up every Muslim nation.

Then how their terror based international politics would work ? Islamic countries are their best allies.

Haven't read the article, but sharing the link. Someone can point out the summary please.
The Secret History of Elizabeth I's Alliance With Islam
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/10/sultan-queen-elizabeth-england-islam-jerry-brotton/

 

[aditya10r]

One country is doing God's work, every single non muslim country in the world should be working daily to fuck up every Muslim nation.

We are doing pretty good job banging pussystan