Saudi seeking deeper ties with India

Saudi’s Ambassador in India Saud Al-Sati hailed his country’s growing ties with the republic.

Speaking in a five star hotel in India to mark the 86th anniversary of the National Day of Saudi Arabia, Al-Sati laid out his country’s vision for the future and the importance of the two country’s partnership.

Al-Sati praised his country’s “National Transformation Plan” and its comprehensive roadmap for diversifying the kingdom’s sources of income. Labelled as the “Vision 2030”, the plan is aimed to secure Saudi Arabia’s prosperity for decades to come.

The plan is to diversify Saudi’s sources of income, attracting foreign investment and make the country a manufacturing hub.

It hopes to achieve this by focusing on privatisations, subsidy reforms, reducing unemployment, increasing women’s participation in the workforce, revamping the education sector and reforming several industries, including tourism and defence.

Its strategic partnership with India is a key part of its vision. Al-Sati said the two countries “are strategic partners, and among the top trading partners for each other. [We] have extensive socioeconomic relations, both as nations and as peoples.”

He also pointed out that Saudi Arabia is a major pillar for India’s energy security and that, in recent years, there has been a marked increase in the exchange of visits between the senior officials of the two countries as well as between industry and business leaders.

Saudi is also close ally of Pakistan and it remains to be seen how the Kingdoms deepening ties with India will affect the historical ties between the two countries.