The period between the two world wars witnessed the emergence of new nation states in Europe and Asia. The main concern of these countries was to get political independence. India after Independence re-established its strong social, economic, religious and emotional connections with Saudi Arabia.
India-Saudi bilateral relations became stronger and cordial when King Saud visited India in 1955 and agreed to shape their relationship based on the mutual coexistence and cooperation. Since then, there have been several visits by higher authorities and officials over the period of years that continue to boost bilateral relations to a greater height. Economic policy of liberalisation and privatisation in India and quest of Saudi for the crude oil market are the prime reasons that bind them together for catering their mutual requirements. The Indian Government is keenly interested to attract foreign investments in India as its intention reflects in the policies of the Indian Government in relaxation of doing “ease of business” and in FDI policies in India. However, the gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, could be an attractive strategic partner in developing Indian economy by investing in different economic sectors.
On the other hand, for Saudi point of view, India has been and would be the future market for oil, etc. As per the trend and views of economists, the Indian economy would rise over the next couple of decades which will generate the demands for oil and according to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, it is expected to rise by 130 per cent by 2040. Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, has been transforming its oil-based economy to knowledge-based economy which requires highly skilled professionals.
Besides, India has been producing a large number of educated professionals and skilled workers who have been substantially contributing to the development of Saudi Arabia. To pursue the Vision 2030 — to develop a diverse economic area to facilitate more investment and business — Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit in 2016 reiterated India’s intentions to work together with Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is expected to be an important market for Indian goods, particularly precious stones, agricultural and pharmaceutical products, etc.
India-Saudi economic ties show tremendous growth over the period of time. According to Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, bilateral trade during 2019-20 was worth of $33.07 billion. India’s imports from Saudi Arabia reached $26.84 billion and exports to Saudi Arabia were worth $ 6.24 billion which accounted an increase of 12.18 per cent over last fiscal year. According to Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia, there are 476 registered Indian companies. It clearly indicates the perpetuity of India-Saudi bilateral relations. Both countries have strengthened not only its economic ties but culturally also they have come closer. The Indian Muslims have cultural and emotional ties with Saudi Arabia. Islamic relics and monuments that Indian Muslims aspire to visit are boosting its tourism sector. Presence of more than 2.5 million Indians in Saudi Arabia which is considered the largest expatriate community in the Kingdom is the living ambassadors for cultural exchange.
Mostly Indians learn Arabic language within a short period of time to communicate with local people. As per the study, Indians are relatively the most preferred community among the expatriates not only for their expertise in their respective fields but also for a sense of discipline, law abiding behaviour and peace-loving nature.
The contributions made by Indian communities for the development of Saudi Arabia have always been appreciated by the Saudi Government. Keeping in view the contribution of expat Indians, irrespective of their religions, the Saudi Government treats every Indian expats equally like its own citizen. Even during pandemic the Saudi Government did not discriminate anyone on the basis of their nationality and religion etc despite knowing the fact that the bulk of initial affected Covid patients were Indian expat workers.
India-Saudi mutual respect can be gauged from the fact that King Abdullah was invited as Chief Guest on India’s Republic Day and Sushma Swaraj attended as the Guest of Honour in “Janaderiyah the National Festival of Heritage and Culture” of Saudi Arabia. Prime Minister Modi has become the first Indian who has been conferred with Saudi Arabia’s highest civilian honour. On the other hand, as strong friends of Saudi Arabia, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, along with the Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, were present at the Saudi National Day Celebration in Delhi in another example of manifestation of the strong India-Saudi ties and shows the growing closeness between India and Saudi Arabia.
Both Saudi Arabia and India are undergoing unprecedented transformations internally whether it be Saudi’s Vision 2030 programme which aims to global investment powerhouse, Neom City Project, a revolution in urban living vision, or India’s move towards achieving its vision of five trillion economies with its flagship initiatives of “Make in India, Start-Up India, Smart Cities and “Digital India” etc, thereby they are creating countless opportunities for their counterparts. Further, India has an enthralling entertainment industry; in the present scenario the rise of entertainment industry in the Kingdom will surely attract Indian markets providing ample job and business opportunities. India-Saudi relations, however, is based not only on the import and export of commodities but also on mutual coexistence, cooperation and respect. With the diversified future and strong determination to work together, both Saudi and India will amaze the world with the positive transformations heading towards the elongated mutual friendship and ties to the highest pinnacle.
(The writer is an educationist and faculty member of King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)
