Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah receives India's Minister of Defense A.K. Antony in Riyadh in February this year.INDIA's engagement with the Arabian Peninsula goes back to several millennia when traders and sailors from South Asia used to sail across the Arabian Sea, in boats made of Malabar wood. The relationship got reinforced and strengthened with robust exchanges and there emerged a strong symbiotic relationship that has stood the test of time and is growing stronger. The remarkable cultural similarities between the peoples of the two lands show the integration and assimilation of various aspects of their respective traditions into each other's daily life. The centuries old two-way trade was mutually beneficial for the people of India and Arabian Peninsula, enhancing their knowledge and understanding, besides fulfilling their day-to-day requirements. India used to import pearls and dates from the Arabian Peninsula while it satisfied the Arab needs for foodstuff, timber and textiles and also supplied luxury items like silk and jewelry. The shared sense of mutual respect and admiration for the role played by the leadership of the two countries in the shaping of the region since the beginning of 20th century brought the two countries at the same plane. People of India admired the unification efforts of King Abdulaziz Al-Saud and formation of the Kingdom of the Saudi Arabia. The Indian government has supported the endeavours undertaken by the leadership of Saudi Arabia to improve the Haj management, which has made the pilgrimage for the Muslims from across the world a safe and comfortable experience. The leaderships of the two countries have displayed a strong commitment to further the historical bonds of friendship. The visit of King Saud Bin Abdulaziz to India in 1955 marked the beginning of high-level bilateral engagement, which was followed a year later by the visit of Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to the Kingdom. Later then Crown Prince Faisal Bin Abdulaziz visited India in 1959 and Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi visited the Kingdom in 1982. The bilateral relations received a major fillip in the beginning of 21st century when Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz paid a historic visit to India in January 2006, as the chief guest at India's Republic Day celebrations. The visit resulted in “Delhi Declaration", signed by the two leaders at the conclusion of the visit, which committed the two countries to pursue a joint strategic vision to promote bilateral relations for mutual benefit as well as for the peace and security of the region as a whole. The visit of Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh to Saudi Arabia in 2010 and the signing of the “Riyadh Declaration" during the visit gave a further boost to the momentum of bilateral relations. It elevated the engagement between the two countries to the level of strategic partnership and articulated their commitment to promote bilateral ties in political, economic, security, defense and cultural areas. Based on the framework provided by the Delhi Declaration and Riyadh Declaration, bilateral relations between the two countries have been strengthened with increase in ministerial visits and stronger economic ties based on substantial trade relations and investments. The tone set by the two landmark visits opened new vista in bilateral cooperation. Saudi Arabia has emerged as India's 4th largest trade partner, with annual bilateral trade exceeding $25 billion for the period 2010-11. There are over 565 small and medium Indian enterprises operating in the Kingdom and the total Indian investments in Saudi Arabia have now crossed $2.5 billion, with the presence of major Indian companies in sectors such as IT, construction, contracting services, financial services and engineering goods, etc. The recent years have witnessed an enhanced level of cooperation in the field of information technology, biotechnology, nanotechnology and space research. India possesses one of the largest and qualified pool of scientific and technical manpower in the world which is globally acclaimed for technological competence. Many Indian expatriates, who are specialists in field of IT, are contributing to the growth and development of Saudi IT and knowledge based industries. The two countries have shared vision for the global peace and development. India supports the Kingdom's efforts in combating global terrorism and both countries strive to join efforts to put an end to the scourge of extremism and violence, which constitute a threat to all nations. Custodian of Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah's initiative to promote interfaith dialogue is well received and appreciated by the Indian leadership. The contribution of the 2 million-strong Indian expatriate community in the growth and development of the Kingdom is well appreciated by the Saudi leadership and has played an important role in bringing the two countries closer. They have been participating in all the major developmental projects in Saudi Arabia. In turn, the Kingdom is the largest source of crude oil for India, meeting around one-fifth of India's oil requirements. Recently, Defense Minister A.K. Antony paid a visit to Saudi Arabia, the first ever by an Indian defense minister to the Kingdom, and strengthened the defense ties between the two countries as articulated in the Riyadh and Delhi declarations. Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha K. Rahman Khan visited the Kingdom to participate in the G-20 Parliamentary Speakers' Conference. Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed visited the Kingdom in May 2012, and held high-level meetings with various Saudi dignitaries besides meeting with the members of Indian community. From the Saudi side, Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, Saudi Commerce and Industry Minister led a 76-member delegation to New Delhi earlier this year for 9th Indo-Saudi Joint Commission Meeting. Saudi Assistant Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Salman visited India in February and met with Indian Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister S. Jaipal Reddy. A Saudi parliamentary delegation led by Shoura Council Chairman Dr. Abdullah Aal Al-Sheikh visited India and held meetings with vice president, prime minister, Lok Sabha speaker and external affairs minister. On the cultural side, a 45-member Saudi youth delegation visited India on a 10-day tour in March, to promote understanding and friendship among the youth of the two countries. The Saudi youth delegation visited premier institutes such as Indian School of Business, Infosys, Narayana Hrudayalaya, Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, etc., and also interacted with Indian business leaders at an event organized by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). The delegation also met Indian political leaders and senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.
