Indo- Saudi Relations

[ejazr]

Saudi Arabian legislature approves extradition treaty with India - World - DNA

Saudi Arabia's legislative body, the Shura Council, has approved the draft agreements of an extradition treaty and a prisoner exchange deal with India inked during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Riyadh early this year.

"The two draft agreements were approved following detailed discussions by the members," the council said in a statement.

The agreements, the council agreed, should be executed for better security and stability of the two countries.

"This would help the two friendly countries not only strengthen bilateral relations but also serve the interests of the citizens of the respective countries who are living in each other's states," he said.

During Singh's visit to the kingdom in March this year, five bilateral agreements, including an extradition treaty and the agreement on transfer of prisoners, were signed.

The extradition treaty is part of efforts to step up bilateral cooperation in the area of security and will help in apprehending wanted persons in each other's country.

It will be in line with the standard format followed across the world and will be governed by international law, an official said.

The agreement on prisoners will facilitate the transfer of Indian prisoners back to India where they will be able to serve the remaining part of their sentences given by a Saudi court.

 

[ejazr]

Indian women's friendship delegation arrives today - Arab News

By GHAZANFAR ALI KHAN | ARAB NEWS

Published: Oct 8, 2010 01:04 Updated: Oct 8, 2010 01:04

RIYADH: In a historic move, dubbed the first of its kind in Saudi-Indo relations, a six-member Indian women's delegation will begin a weeklong visit to Saudi Arabia from Friday to promote understanding and friendship.

The Indian women, who will be visiting the Saudi capital and holding wide-ranging talks with local women besides visiting various public and private institutions, will be hosted by the Riyadh-based Saudi Journalists Association (SJA) here.

"The women's delegation from India will meet Noura Al-Faiz, the first Saudi woman deputy minister of education, on Monday," said Saudi Ambassador to India Faisal H. Trad on Thursday.

"(They) will interact with Saudi women and visit women's organizations in Riyadh with a view to improve understanding and establish better people-to-people contacts between the two countries."

The delegation, he said, includes Nilofar Suhrawardy, a prominent journalist and writer; Louise Khurshid, a well-known journalist and politician; Babli Moitra Saraf, principal of Indraprastha College for Women; Madhu Purnima Kishwar, social activist, Madhu Rao Ayde, textile designer; and Rashmi Taneja, a plastic and reconstructive consultant who works at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi.

He added that the status of women in Saudi Arabia had been subject to a many great changes over the past few years. "The Saudi women are rendering valuable contributions in every sector in my country, and in all those domains once dominated by men."

He said that women in India had adorned high offices including that of president, prime minister, speaker of the Lok Sabha, leader of opposition, among others.

The current President of India, Pratibha Patil, is a woman, he noted.

"There (is) an urgent need to enable women of Saudi Arabia and India to meet each other, understand each other and resolve to work together for a better peaceful world."

This visit of the delegation, he said, follows the signing of the "Delhi Declaration" and the "Riyadh Declaration" during the respective visits of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to Delhi and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Riyadh.

The delegation will visit the Princess Noura University and the ladies' branch of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce, among other institutions. They are expected to leave Riyadh on Oct. 14.
--------------------------------------------------------------

A first of its kind delegation to Saudi Arabia at a women to women level.

 

[ejazr]

India eyes railway business in Saudi Arabia


RIYADH: India, which has the world's fourth largest railway network, is planning to enter the Kingdom with the operation of a major mineral railway that will link the northern Jalamid region with Ras Azzour, near the industrial port city of Jubail.

"India's ties in the railway sector, or for that matter in almost all sectors, especially in politics and the economy, are progressively growing," said E. Ahamed, India's minister of state for railways, in Riyadh Sunday night.

Ahamed was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a community reception hosted by Al-Huda Group, which operates several Indian schools in Saudi Arabia. T. P. Mohammed, Al-Huda Group's managing director, and Mohammed Musthafa, principal of the Riyadh-based Al-Huda International School, addressed the audience on this occasion, while giving a brief of the minister's work and achievements through the years.

Ahamed, who answered several questions from community members at the well-attended "Meet Your Minister" reception, said relevant Indian ministries, agencies and embassy officials had been in touch with their counterparts in Saudi Arabia to solve labor-related issues. To this end, he appreciated the efforts of his colleague Vayalar Ravi, minister of overseas affairs, who visited the Kingdom recently and had "very important" talks with senior officials of the Labor Ministry on diverse issues affecting Indian workers.

Referring to the Saudi-India cooperation in the railway sector, he said that that some projects were "being identified, while some are in the pipeline".

He added that it was too early to say more about the projects in which Indian Railways will be involved in. But, India's state-owned Rites Company, he said, will be involved in the operation of the new 1,486-kilometre North-South railway. The Saudi Railways Organization (SRO) and Rites signed a SR278 million agreement earlier.

Rites, an Indian government's enterprise, will help operate the railway, which is used for the transportation of phosphate and bauxite to Ras Azzour near Jubail.

Once operational, this railway link would make Saudi Arabia a leading supplier of phosphate and bauxite, according to a report published recently. Passenger traffic on the route would start in 2013 with trains passing through Riyadh, Sudair, Qassim, Hail and Al-Jouf, said the report.

Asked about the possibility of opening small offices in Saudi cities to make railway tickets available for Gulf passengers, in light of complaints that Indian Railways is not accepting credit cards when issuing tickets online, Ahamed assured that he would look into this problem.

To this end, he noted that Indian Railways was in the process of installing automated ticket vending machines (ATVMs) in India. He, however, could not provide details of the ATVM project. The plan is to install some 40,000 ATVMs in the first phase, slated to be initiated by the end of the year, said the report.

Indian Railways and related organizations like Rites have over 600 ongoing projects in India, besides some 30 projects overseas. Indian Railways has at least 64,000 kilometers of track and almost 7,000 stations across the length and breath of India. It has the world's fourth largest railway network after the United States, Russia and China. Indian Railways traverse the length and breadth of India and carry over 20 million passengers and two million tons of freight daily. It is one of the world's largest commercial or utility employers, with more than 1.6 million employees.

 

[ejazr]

Indian Cultural extravaganza in Dammam draws 10,000 expats

DAMMAM: More than 10,000 Indian expatriates and their family members turned up at the King Fahd Amusement Park in Dammam at the weekend to celebrate India Day.

The main attractions during the massive celebrations were the pavilions set up to showcase different cultural aspects of India's many states.

Of the two million Indians in the Kingdom, around 700,000 live and work in the Eastern Province cities of Dammam, Alkhobar, Jubail, Al-Hasa, Qatif, Hafr Al-Batin and Ras Tanura. In addition, many Indian families from Riyadh head to the Eastern Province during weekends to enjoy the picturesque beaches of Alkhobar and Jubail.

For a community that is scattered throughout the province, the India Day celebrations provided a good and unique opportunity to socialize, network and to understand little known cultural nuggets of their own country.

"The turnout was beyond expectations," admitted Mirza Zaheer Baig, the key organizer who works as a scientist at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). "When we thought of organizing such an event, we never knew we would attract these many people. This only indicates the sense of camaraderie that exists among the members of the Indian community in the Eastern Province."

T.P.M. Fazal, from Kerala, who played an instrumental role in bringing Indians of all shades together, promised to make India Day celebrations an annual event. "It is rare for Indians from Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Rajasthan, Karnataka and other states to come together along with families for a day of fun."

Managers at the park where the event was organized were overwhelmed by the large turnout and colorful extravaganza. "We have not had such a massive response to any event in our park in nearly 10 years," said Abdul Rahman Alawi. "We would like to host such events in future as well."

Among others, the presence of Dr. Omar Baghabra S. Al-Amoudi, dean of continuing education at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and Dr. Hifzur Rahman, cultural secretary at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, added prestige to the event.

So impressed was Rahman by the cultural show, he promised to organize many more cultural events in the region. "Keeping in view the agreement that India and Saudi Arabia have signed to promote cultural activities between our two friendly countries, we have plans to bring in cultural troupes from India in the coming days. We only had Riyadh and Jeddah in mind. Now, however, we will add Dammam and Alkhobar to the list of cities where we will have these events," he said.

These programs will be held in close conjunction with the New Delhi-based Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

Rahman also promised to hold the annual mushaira of Indian poets in Dammam as well. "We have these poetry sessions in Riyadh and Jeddah every year. We will have it in Dammam as well," he said, adding that there were a few glitches. "However, considering that these celebrations were being organized for the first time on such a big scale, we have to applaud every single person behind the organization of this event," he said.

He appealed to the Indian community to continue the good work that they have been doing in the Kingdom all these years. "It is because of this hard work that Indians have earned a pride of place among the expatriate population in Saudi Arabia. We need to build on that trust and promote the good relations that exist between our two countries."

Some of the well-known representatives of the Indian community were felicitated at the show. They included Dr. Jamil Ahmad Qureshy, E.K. Mohammed Shaffe, Anis Bakhsh, M.A. Hasnain, Shuja Mohammed Sheriff, Waheed Lateef, M. Maslehuddin, Shyamkumar Parashar, Hameeduddin Ahmed, Yunus Kazia, Hakeem M. Dowla, Suresh C. Pillai, Shirish Palkar, Rajendra Sharma, Ramdesh Deshpandey, Mohammed Quaiser and Firoz Ahmed.

 

[ajtr]

Saudi bonds deepen with partner India

By Abeer Allam

Published: November 3 2010 17:03 | Last updated: November 3 2010 17:03

Every Friday in the Bateha district of Riyadh, "Little India" kicks off as tens of thousands of south-Asian shopkeepers and labourers enjoy their day of rest.

Indian football leagues and cricket teams play in unused fields or parking lots, while elsewhere in the Saudi capital Indian executives enjoy a game of tennis or receive guests in some of the most exclusive compounds in the kingdom.

Indian expatriates in Saudi Arabia fill every niche in the labour market, from blue-collar labourers to top-level engineers and bankers. Just over three decades ago, their numbers were fewer than 100,000, but today at 2m they have become the largest expatriate community.

The dramatic rise reflects a shift in Saudi Arabia's trade and foreign policy towards India. During the cold war, Saudi Arabia's close ties with Pakistan and the US strained relations with India, which had close links with the Soviet Union. Saudi Arabia's backing of Pakistan during the Kashmir conflict and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 further strained relations.

But over the last decade, trade between India and Saudi Arabia has soared as the world's leading oil producer and the fast-growing, energy-thirsty subcontinent have found mutual economic benefits. :cheers:They also share concerns about the influence of al-Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

By 2001, they agreed to put "Pakistan and Kashmir out of the picture", :cheers: says Talmiz Ahmad, India's ambassador in Riyadh. "We agreed that there is no space in our political set-up for radical Islam or any other extremist force that preaches violence," he says.

Trade between the two states favours the kingdom, its surplus standing at SR67.3bn in 2008, with Saudi Arabia being the largest supplier of crude oil to India. Nevertheless, Saudi imports from India reached SR18bn in 2008, an almost sixfold rise from 2000, says the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency. The kingdom is now India's fourth-largest trade partner after China, the US and the United Arab Emirates. "The trading relationship between Saudi Arabia and India is among the most strategic bilateral bonds for both countries," Mr Ahmad says.

Asian growth, led by China and India, has generated tremendous demand for Saudi oil and petrochemicals, and the kingdom is increasingly looking east.

And as Saudi Arabia expanded during the 2003-08 oil boom, demand in the kingdom for skilled and unskilled foreign workers also increased, particularly from Asia. The result is that Indians have gradually displaced Arab and western expatriates as a bulwark of the Saudi labour market.

"Indians are perceived by Saudis as having good work ethics," :cheers:says Rajiv Shukla, managing director of investments at HSBC Saudi Arabia. "Despite some initial apprehensions and concern about discrimination, we found many similarities with Indian culture, and we get paid according to our skills not skin colour."

In the past, Indian companies have shunned Saudi Arabia, opting for other Gulf states because of the kingdom's puritanical interpretation of Islam. But Mr Shukla notes increasing interest by Indian companies in joint ventures and acquisitions. Indian companies operating there include Telecommunications Consultants India, an engineering and telecoms consultancy, Wipro, an information technology company, and Tata Motors.

Like all foreigners, legal and visa rules constantly remind Indians of their status as "guest workers". They are often subject to the whims of local sponsors and barred from buying property or setting up their own enterprises.

This has resulted in the tendency for Indian expatriates to tightly control local spending, remit as much as possible and operate through a network that helps fellow countrymen to find formal and informal work wherever it may arise.

FT.com / Middle East - Saudi bonds deepen with Asian partner

 

[ejazr]

India's energy industry honors Abdallah Jum'ah

DAMMAM: Former Saudi Aramco President and CEO Abdallah S. Jum'ah received the Petrotech Lifetime Achievement Award at the organization's ninth conference in New Delhi at the weekend.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh presented the award, which lauded Jum'ah's time with Saudi Arabia's national oil company. Petrotech is a non-profit organization composed of professionals from India's oil and gas industries

"Jum'ah's visionary leadership enabled Saudi Aramco to gear up to meet the escalating world oil demand, locating and developing additional reserves and augmenting production and distribution capacity," Singh said. "He brought in a structural balance in Saudi Aramco's value chain constituencies at the Saudi Kingdom and abroad, integrating into petrochemicals, while minimizing the environmental footprint of the world's largest oil corporation."

Jum'ah attributed his success to the more-than 50,000 employees of Saudi Aramco and delivered a speech on sustained development in the energy industry. He donated the cash portion of the award to an Indian children's hospital. It was the first time the award was given to a Saudi national.

The theme of the conference, which ran for three days from Nov. 1, was "Global Energy Equilibrium" with a variety of sessions to share knowledge and expertise within the global oil industry.

 

[ajtr]

Indian Army will hold joint exercises with the Royal Saudi Land Force in Saudi Arabia

One of the most silent and understated positive outcomes of the India-US strategic partnership is the friendly nudge from Washington to New Delhi and Riyadh to join hands against global terrorism and increase defence and security cooperation.

Four years after King Abdullah visited India in January 2006, the Indian Army will hold joint exercises with the Royal Saudi Land Force in that country in March next year. New Delhi has also agreed to build a mountain warfare school to enhance the fighting capability of Riyadh against non-state players.

While the India-Saudi Arabia relationship is shrouded in secrecy due to interests inimical to both countries, New Delhi and Riyadh have broadened bilateral intelligence sharing, with high-level visits from both sides to bolster cooperation in the fight against terrorism. :cheers:

A far cry from the 1980s and '90s, Saudi Arabia is committed to not allowing shelter to any fugitives from Indian justice or tolerating any anti-India activity. :cheers:

After Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made a historic three-day visit to Riyadh this January, Intelligence Bureau Director Rajiv Mathur was in Saudi Arabia last month to strengthen intelligence sharing with his counterparts. :cheers:

Saudi Arabia's former intelligence chief Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud is expected to visit India next March and interact with the Indian leadership.

Prince Turki, nephew of King Abdullah who heads an influential think tank in Riyadh, was the force behind the Afghan resistance against Soviet occupation in the late 1980s.

The message from Riyadh is clear: that its bilateral relationship with India is independent and not influenced by its ties with other countries such as Pakistan.

Nudged by US, India, S Arabia inch closer on terror, defence

 

[ejazr]

Well this is was pretty much on the cards. There has been a tradition of goodwill naval vists by Indian navy to KSA for many years. But I guess this will probably be a major startegic shift if this becomes a regular feature in how the ME looks at India.

The main concern will be how Iran looks at this and India managing the fall out of such a relationship. Because I don't see India-Iran having a similar exercise any time soon.

 

[ajtr]

Nudged by US, India, S Arabia inch closer on terror, defence​

One of the most silent and understated positive outcomes of the India-US strategic partnership is the friendly nudge from Washington to New Delhi and Riyadh to join hands against global terrorism and increase defence and security cooperation.

Four years after King Abdullah visited India in January 2006, the Indian Army will hold joint exercises with the Royal Saudi Land Force in that country in March next year. New Delhi has also agreed to build a mountain warfare school to enhance the fighting capability of Riyadh against non-state players.

While the India-Saudi Arabia relationship is shrouded in secrecy due to interests inimical to both countries, New Delhi and Riyadh have broadened bilateral intelligence sharing, with high-level visits from both sides to bolster cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

A far cry from the 1980s and '90s, Saudi Arabia is committed to not allowing shelter to any fugitives from Indian justice or tolerating any anti-India activity.

After Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made a historic three-day visit to Riyadh this January, Intelligence Bureau Director Rajiv Mathur was in Saudi Arabia last month to strengthen intelligence sharing with his counterparts.

Saudi Arabia's former intelligence chief Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud is expected to visit India next March and interact with the Indian leadership.

Prince Turki, nephew of King Abdullah who heads an influential think tank in Riyadh, was the force behind the Afghan resistance against Soviet occupation in the late 1980s.

The message from Riyadh is clear: that its bilateral relationship with India is independent and not influenced by its ties with other countries such as Pakistan.

 

[ajtr]

Well this is was pretty much on the cards. There has been a tradition of goodwill naval vists by Indian navy to KSA for many years. But I guess this will probably be a major startegic shift if this becomes a regular feature in how the ME looks at India.

The main concern will be how Iran looks at this and India managing the fall out of such a relationship. Because I don't see India-Iran having a similar exercise any time soon.

Actually there is big usa hand in nudging this relationship as the above report suggest.Its usa usa want to shift india away from iran.Will india play the ball at the expense of iran? i dont think so....india has wisen up to the waxing and waning of the relationship with usa after voting against iran at IAEA ...india has been led through the garden path by the usa which is evident.As of today india-usa disagree on more than they agree on many issues.As the present obama trip suggest it was quite a damp squib.So i dont think india will leave iran so easily.Thats other thing that india will maintain relationship with saudi arab but not at the cost of iran.

 

[mayfair]

If USA can maintain relations with the Arab countries and Israel, China can do so with Pakistan and Israel, then there's no reason why India cannot or should not have cordial and beneficial relations with both KSA and Iran. Both countries will be valuable strategic partners from our point of view and our interests must be paramount.

 

[Vinod2070]

Well this is was pretty much on the cards. There has been a tradition of goodwill naval vists by Indian navy to KSA for many years. But I guess this will probably be a major startegic shift if this becomes a regular feature in how the ME looks at India.

The main concern will be how Iran looks at this and India managing the fall out of such a relationship. Because I don't see India-Iran having a similar exercise any time soon.

Well, as long as Iran doesn't see us ganging up with Saudis against the Shia Iran, they should not have anything against it except may be some reservations.

We can't be too concerned about just reservations, we need to look after our interests.

Unlike say a Pakistan which would be seen as part of the Sunni alliance against Iran, India can't be seen in that light. We have maintained relations with Israel which are not against the Islamic world. We can surely maintain relations with any Islamic country without getting involved into their internal politics and sectarian rivalries.

 

[ejazr]

Saudi Arabia brings cultural, religious exotica to India - The Times of India
IANS | Sep 28, 2011, 01.45PM IST

Sugary dates, Persian calligraphy, colourful contemporary art, henna designs and holy Zamzam water from Mecca are some of the exotic flavours from Saudi Arabia in the culture corridor of the capital this week.

A week-long Saudi Arabia cultural showcase - one of the biggest ever in India - is on here from Sep 27-Oct 1 with an arts blitz at the Lalit Kala Akademi. Presented by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), the festival is the first initiative of the cultural wing of the ministry of external affairs to build better people-to-people bridges between India and Saudi Arabia.

In a touching gesture, the culture showcase 'performed a Haj ritual' by offering guests holy water from the Zamzam Well, a sacred spring located 18 km from the black stone at Kaaba, a building, on the complex of Masjid-al-Haram. The water was offered in miniature jars by holy men - dressed in traditional robes - who look after the well in Mecca. Haj pilgrims drink water from the well in a religious ritual during the annual pilgrimage. "The well dates back to the era of prophet Abraham. It was ordained by god to spring forth at Mecca for the well-being of the people. In course of time, it disappeared and was resurrected before the birth of prophet Mohammed. The people and now the government of Saudi Arabia have cared for it down the ages. The government has mapped it and located its source feeds. The water is very very clean..." Imad Zamzami, whose family has traditionally cared for the well, said.

"My grandfather and father have looked after the well before me," Zamzami said. The ICCR this year inaugurated its overseas cell in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. An 88-member delegation of artists, performers, scholars and officials is representing the kingdom in India.

"The cultural event comprising multiple components is being held in India indicates the growing profile of cultural diplomacy between the two countries. We opened our cultural wing in Riyadh this year and we plan to host Indian cultural events in South Africa. After all this period, there is nothing better than culture to understand each other," Suresh Goel, the director-general of ICCR, said.

The week-long Arabian art exhibition at the Lalit Kala Akademi has brought more than 150 heritage photographs, Persian and Arabic calligrahic art, digital art, multi-media art, paintings, sculpture, animation and comic book art from South Arabia from India. "Art is appreciated in Saudi Arabia.

Almost every household has an amateur or professional artist - and boasts of a work of art as accessory. Women can pursue arts provided they do not offend religious sensitivities. We cannot draw suggestive human figures," Amal Mohammed al Zahirani, an artist and interior designer from Jeddah, said.

Zahirani uses glue, varnish, antiques, acrylic and metal for her three-dimensional abstract art and sculptures. She estimated that the kingdom had 200 women artists who have made a name for themselves. Inaugurating the showcase, Sanjay Singh, secretary, east, in the ministry of external affairs said, "India and Saudi Arabia enjoy cordial socio-cultural relations".

He said more than 1.8 lakh pilgrims want to visit Mecca for Haj this year. Singh also traced the history of bilateral ties between India and Saudi Arabia since the first Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru visited the country in 1956.

"We hope to organise more such cultural festivals in India. We are talking to people in India - this relation will continue," Saleh-bin-Abdul Aziz al-Meghaileth, deputy minister of international culture relations, Saudi Arabia, said. Saleh is heading the Saudi delegation.

 

[ejazr]

A must watch interview with the Saudi Ambassador to India from March 2011

Faisal Trad, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia talks about the Indo Saudi relationship - counter terrorism, oil, non-oil business, employment, Visas

 

[ejazr]

Saudi Parlimentary delegation visiting the Indian parliament this week

Shoura council is the equivalent of the Indian parliament and consists of a single house with appointed and elected members. The shoura president is like the speaker of the house.

Shoura team in India exploring ways to boost ties - Arab News

A high-powered delegation led by Abdullah Al-Asheikh, president of the Shoura Council, arrived in India yesterday to boost cooperation in parliamentary affairs and to open a new chapter in Indo-Saudi relations.

The 11-member delegation, which includes senior Shoura members, will hold wide-ranging talks with high-ranking Indian officials in New Delhi today and tomorrow in a bid to further promote bilateral relations, Indian Ambassador Hamid Ali Rao said in Riyadh yesterday.

"This high-powered Saudi delegation will hold interactions with Indian parliamentarians and compare different parliamentary practices in an effort to boost cooperation between the two legislative bodies," he said.

This is the first visit of a Shoura president to New Delhi. Somnath Chatterjee, then speaker of India's Lok Sabha, visited Riyadh in 2007.

Referring to the progressively growing relations between the Kingdom and India, Rao said: "The friendship and close cooperation between the two countries are at a high point, having been nurtured in recent times through regular consultations between our top officials."

The move to promote cooperation in the field of parliamentary affairs is important keeping in view India's growing engagement in the Kingdom and in the region at large.

Asked about the itinerary of the Saudi delegation, Manohar Ram, deputy chief of the Indian mission, said: "The Saudi delegation will visit the Indian Parliament on Tuesday, where they will be received by Mira Kumar, Lok Sabha (House of the People) speaker."

Al-Asheikh and his accompanying delegation will also attend the sessions of Lok Sabha, said Ram, adding that Kumar will host a dinner for the Saudi guests tonight.

The Saudi delegation will also hold talks with India's vice president Mohammad Hamid Ansari before they join a lunch hosted by Indo-Saudi Friendship Group tomorrow.

India has an active Indo-Saudi Friendship Group in its Parliament, whereas the Shoura Council has also constituted a 20-member friendship group. The delegation is likely to meet several top Indian officials, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the three-day trip.

Ram pointed out that the delegation would also hold talks with K. Rahman Khan, deputy speaker of Indian parliament (Rajya Sabha), who visited Riyadh in February this year to attend the third G20 Speakers' Consultation Meeting. Separate meetings have also been scheduled with Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna and Shushma Swaraj, leader of the opposition in the Indian Parliament, before the delegation wraps up its visit on Thursday.

Asked about the subjects of the talks with Indian officials, Ram said both sides will discuss how to boost closer cooperation and how to contribute to promoting peace and stability in the region and the world in general.

"Cooperation in political and economic fields is developing very fast between the two countries, which are also evident from the multilateral cooperation through international forums especially by supporting each other's candidacy," said the diplomat.

"The role of parliaments is very important in the modern world especially in ensuring global peace and security, said Ram. India always attaches importance to the Kingdom, considering the close relations as the two nations' valuable treasures of peace and friendship to be preserved and passed to the future generations," he added.

"The relationship between the Indian parliament and Shoura Council is an important component to our bilateral ties," said the diplomat.

The delegation led by Al-Asheikh includes senior Shoura members Mansoor Bin Abdullah Aba Al Khail, Yusuf Bin Abdus Sattar Al-Maimani, Dr. Sadoon S. Al-Sadoon and Dr. Abdur Rahman bin Usman Al-Sughayir, director general of Shoura's public relations and media. A 40-member youth delegation from Saudi Arabia, on a perception-changing visit to India, returned to the Kingdom only a few weeks back. The Shoura Council is the apex advisory and legislative body of the Kingdom with 150 members.

The Parliament, which comprises the president and the two houses, Lok Sabha (House of People) and Rajya Sabha (council of states), within the framework of a bicameral system, is the supreme legislative body in India.

The two houses of the Parliament are composed of about 800 members who serve the largest democratic electorate in the world (714 million eligible voters). The members of Lok Sabha are elected by direct poll, whereas the member of Rajya Sabha are elected by members of the state legislative assemblies and union territories.

 

[ejazr]

Editorial today in the SAG mouth piece Arab News on Indo-Saudi relations

Editorial: Growing Saudi-India relations - Arab News

The three-day visit to India by 11 members of the Kingdom's 150-strong Shoura Council has been about much more than its core aim of boosting ties with Indian parliamentarians. It is the latest step in a rapprochement after last year's trade spat, when New Delhi accused the Kingdom of "dumping" polypropylene in the Indian market. The punitive tax it imposed was rescinded this January.

As Shoura Council President Abdullah Al-Asheikh found, the Indians are now anxious to find a range of areas where the two countries can cooperate more closely.

Indian Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad for instance told his Saudi guests that India, which is the world's fourth largest pharmaceutical producer, could help Saudi Arabia strengthen its own pharmaceutical production, while assisting with the setting up of medical colleges.

There can be little doubt that in the Saudi delegation's busy schedule of meetings with top Indian officials, the issue of closer defense cooperation also came up. Final details of a wide-ranging defense cooperation agreement are now being ironed out following February's two-day trip to the Kingdom by Indian Defense Minister A. K. Antony.

As this newspaper commented at the time, the standoff over our polypropylene exports to the Indians was an unfortunate misjudgment by Delhi, which not only overlooked the commercial realities of this trade but also ignored the bigger picture of relations between our two countries.

Saudi Arabia benefits from the presence of almost two million Indian workers, the largest expatriate community in the country. Even as the Indian economy continues to grow, the remittances that the Indian community send home still make an important contribution to India's foreign exchange reserves.

The two countries benefit from each other. We can even say they need each other. Saudi Arabia supplies crude oil and petrochemicals to an increasingly energy-hungry India. There is also a growing amount of capital export, as Saudi businessmen seek direct and indirect investments in Indian companies. Nor is it simply workers that India is sending to the Kingdom. Indian companies, most especially in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) are beating a path to Saudi Arabia, seeking contracts within the massive infrastructural developments that are taking place here.

Once upon a time, the main bidders to win these tenders would have been from North America and Europe. However, the world has changed and the economic axis is shifting decisively eastward. Saudi Arabia has been quick to recognize the change.

Now along with South Korean contractors, who have long focused on the Gulf, there are Chinese, Indian and Malaysian firms operating in the region. Firms from these countries are often cheaper, more efficient and execute every bit as well and often better than traditional Western contractors. They are also bringing their own technology, which unlike North American and European firms, they are happier to see transferred, so that Saudi firms can benefit and grow.

In this new economic environment, Asia is set to loom ever larger in the Kingdom's diplomatic plans and relationships. Moreover, it could be argued that our ties with India represent the template that will be pursued with other Asian countries. With the change in the economic axis and consequential move in geopolitical power, the global agenda will ultimately be formed by Asia, not the New World and Europe. Therefore it was significant that in their talks with Indian legislators and ministers, the delegation from the Shoura Council discussed greater coordination of international policy-making.

Saudi Arabia and its fellow GCC members need to be part of the initiatives that will fashion the world in the 21st century. By fostering strong relations with India and the rest of Asia, the Kingdom is ensuring that its voice will continue to be heard. While this does not mean that we are in any way abandoning the relationships that have been forged with the West, it does demonstrate that the Kingdom appreciates the fundamental geopolitical changes that are taking place and is responding in a positive and appropriate manner.