RIYADH — Outgoing Indian Ambassador Hamid Ali Rao has said the strong bilateral relations between India and Saudi Arabia reached new heights. He said the Saudi leadership gave whole-hearted cooperation to India to ensure the safe evacuation of Indian nationals from Yemen. As a result of a telephone conversation between Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Saudi warplanes targeting Houthi rebels in Yemen ceased bombing operations in an extraordinary gesture to allow Air India time to ferry Indian nationals out of Sanaa to Djibouti, Rao said. He said the cooperation of Saudi leadership has played an important role in making the evacuation process, nicknamed “Operation Rahat”, a success. During Rao's tenure as India's ambassador in Riyadh, 170,000 Indians returned home taking advantage of a royal amnesty while thousands of others corrected their legal status in the Kingdom. Rao thanked the Saudi leaders for maintaining close ties with India. He said Indians are the most preferred workforce in the Kingdom because of their law-abiding nature. “As an ambassador it was my duty to cultivate this relationship and I think we have made significant progress in our bilateral relationship. Nothing could have been possible during the Nitaqat period if the Saudi leadership did not cooperate with us. I found them extremely helpful,” Rao said while addressing a large gathering of Indians at a farewell ceremony organized at the International Indian School in Riyadh. He said Indians live in the Kingdom respecting the rules and regulations of the country. “We should be proud of the fact that we belong to the great country India, a country which is unique in many ways. Indians are recognized here as a people who speak different languages, follow different religions and wear different clothes. It is the Indianness that is recognized and that is how it should be. Indianness means a civilization that goes back to thousands of years and that civilization gives us values of tolerance, values of sharing and values of caring,” Rao said. He said he endeavored to nurture these values during his three-year tenure in the Kingdom and everyone saw them peak during the Nitaqat period. “During the Nitaqat period all of us rose above the barriers of region, language and religion and acted as Indians. All community workers rendered marvelous services and hence we got a marvelous outcome. This is what happens when you are united and it is in the interest of everyone. We should be proud of our own diversity, which makes us unique,” Rao said. The farewell ceremony started with the recitation of the Holy Qur'an by Usman Tirmidhi and Master Adil. Ahmad Imthias welcomed the audience. Hundreds of bouquets and gifts were presented to the ambassador by community members after a call by Abdulaziz Shameem Khan. Deputy Chief of Mission Hemant Kotalwar, Second Secretary Dr. Hifzur Rahman, a large number of Indian Embassy staff, International Indian School's principal and Managing Committee members and the business community were present. The ceremony was organized on the initiative of social activist Shihab Kottukad and all social and cultural groups in Riyadh joined hands. Mohammed Ziagham Khan and Balachandran spoke on behalf of the community. The vote of thanks was delivered by Abdul Rahman Saleem. Dr. Mohammad Ahamad Badshah conducted the proceedings. The speeches were followed by a cultural program.
