India-Saudi ties growing stronger: Envoy

[Hindustani78]

India-Saudi ties growing stronger: Envoy | Zee News

Last Updated: Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - 12:14
New Delhi: India-Saudi Arabia ties are going strong and their bilateral energy cooperation is at a high level, the kingdom`s envoy, Saud bin Mohammed Al-Sati, said on the occasion of his country`s national day.


The embassy celebrated its National Day on Monday. The day is celebrated across Saudi Arabia on September 23 to mark the unification of the nation.

Touching on the bilateral relationship, the envoy said: "The ties between India and Saudi Arabia have never been better, and they are getting stronger by the day. Our energy ties are also growing. Our relationship is at a very enhanced level."

Saudi Arabia is India`s fourth largest trading partner. The two-way trade in 2013-14 was over USD 48.62 billion, and touched USD 29.90 billion during April-November 2014. The import of crude oil forms a major component of the bilateral trade.

Over 2.8 million Indian expatriates are working in Saudi Arabia - from high end scientific and research jobs to the construction sector. They contribute majorly to the Saudi economy and play a vital role in strengthening India-Saudi bilateral ties.

IANS

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Defence
16-May, 2017 15:26 IST
Indian warships visit Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

As part of the Indian Navy’s overseas deployment to the West Coast of Africa and the Mediterranean Sea, three Indian warships, INS Mumbai, INS Trishul and INS Aditya, arrived at Jeddah today (16 May 17) for a three-day visit. The warships will engage extensively with the Saudi Arabian Navy during their stay in the country. Apart from professional interactions, sports and social engagements are also planned, which would go a long way in enhancing co-operation and understanding between these important navies of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).


The visiting ships, headed by Rear Admiral RB Pandit, the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF), who is flying his flag on the guided missile destroyer INS Mumbai, are part of the Indian Navy’s Western Naval Command and are based at Mumbai.


India and Saudi Arabia enjoy cordial and friendly relations, reflecting centuries old economic and socio-cultural ties. Bilateral trade between the countries has shown remarkable growth and has registered a three-fold increase in the last five years. The 1.8 million–strong Indian community in Saudi-Arabia is the largest expatriate community in the Kingdom and is the ‘most preferred community’ due to their expertise, sense of discipline, and law abiding nature. The Haj pilgrimage is another important component of the bilateral relations with over 1,65,000 Indians performing Haj every year.


Building upon the rich and longstanding relations that have existed between India and Saudi Arabia, both nations have developed warm relations in several spheres. The current visit seeks to underscore India’s peaceful presence and solidarity with friendly countries of the Indian Ocean and, in particular, to strengthen the existing bonds between India and Saudi Arabia.


Indian Naval assets have been increasingly deployed in recent times to address the main maritime concerns of the region, including piracy off the coast of Somalia. In addition, the Indian Navy has also been involved in assisting countries in the Indian Ocean Region with Hydrographic Survey, Search and Rescue and other such capacity-building and capability-enhancement activities. The current deployment into the Mediterranean will contribute towards the Indian Navy’s efforts to consolidate Inter Operability and forge strong bonds of friendship across the seas.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-arabia/saudi-india-defense-ties-strengthen-pandit/


By Irfan Mohammed
Saudi Gazette

INDIAN Navy has been nurturing its ties with Kingdom’s Royal Saudi Naval Forces in recent years in line with the country’s foreign policy transformation in the defense context.

Saudi Arabia and India share common concerns regarding terrorism and piracy and this has strengthened bilateral ties and defense cooperation, said a visiting top official of Indian Navy.

Rear Admiral R.B. Pandit, flag officer commanding, Western Fleet (FOCWF) in Mumbai, made this statement while speaking with media along with Indian Ambassador Ahmad Javed and Consul General Noor Rahman Shiekh on board INS Trishul, a guided missile frigate of Indian Navy docked in the Red Sea port of Jeddah Thursday evening.

Pandit revealed that India is engaged in Air, Army and Naval defense cooperation with the Kingdom.

Besides INS Trishul, two other warships INS Mumbai, ISS Aditya were in Jeddah for three days on a goodwill visit and the three ships were part of the Indian Navy’s overseas deployment to the West Coast of Africa and the Mediterranean.

He noted that current visit seeks to underscore India’s peaceful presence and solidarity with friendly countries in the region and strengthen the existing bonds of friendship between India and Saudi Arabia.

He added that significant progress has been achieved in the last two years in bilateral relations between India and Saudi Arabia in defense direction, which he termed as “game-change”.

Pandit said the Indian Navy’s diplomatic turn has been especially noteworthy in the expansion of naval cooperation with the Kingdom. In the cooperation, training is a major component. Saudi Naval cadets of entry-level officer to ranks of major are trained in India’s prestigious defense training institutions.

Rear Admiral Pandit recalled Kingdom’s participation, led by Rear Admiral Ali Mohammed Al-Zahrani with enthusiasm, in Indian Navy Marathon held in Vishakhapatnam in 2016.

In addition young officers and cadets of the Royal Saudi Navy are regularly sent to participate in sailing regatta. Most of the officers are in the young and impressionable age, and they carry back impressions of India. We are happy that the Royal Saudi Navy has been deputing people for these events regularly,” he added.

“We would like them to visit the Indian shores so we can return the hospitality by hosting them,” Pandit said while thanking the Saudi Naval forces and the Kingdom for hosting them for three days.


He added, ”The support we’ve always got from Saudi Arabia and the Royal Saudi Navy has always been valuable.”

“I would like to highlight one instance, when in 2015 Indian Naval ships were deployed in these waters at the start of the Yemen crisis to evacuate Indian personnel from Yemen. The support we got from the Royal Saudi Navy was very valuable and very instrumental to make the operations successful,” he added.

He also expressed gratitude to the Saudi leadership for allowing Indian Naval forces to enter into Yemen in 2015 during relief and evacuation of Indian citizens from war-torn country.

Pandit said India is acclaimed as a pioneer that excels in hydrographic survey, where it intends to share its rich experience with Saudi Navy in conducting hydrographic surveys to develop and enhance maritime navigation systems.

Replying to a query, the Rear Admiral said Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), a brainchild of Indian Navy, became a voluntary and cooperative initiative among 35 countries of the Indian Ocean Region where member countries share information and cooperate on maritime issues.

He said some of GCC countries are members in subgroups and core groups of IONS.

Pandit also said India is actively engaged in curbing piracy in the Gulf of Aden to maintain order and safe seas for normal and fearless maritime traffic of merchandise vessels.

“We have thwarted more than 40 attempts of piracy and escorted more than 3,500 merchant ships of all countries since 2008 when India joined in anti-piracy operations,” he said.

He cited the latest incident in which the Indian Navy foiled a piracy attempt on a bulk-carrier in the Gulf of Aden where Indian warship INS Shardda swung into action after it received a distress call.

The visiting naval ships are part of Western Fleet of Indian Navy based in Mumbai. The fleet is considered as the sword of Indian Navy from where it plays vital role in safeguarding the country’s maritime security and ensuring peace and stability in the seas.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Power
29-June, 2017 18:31 IST
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Implement Energy Efficiency Programmes, Signs MoU with EESL

Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under the administration of Ministry of Power, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Energy Services Company, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to implement energy efficiency programmes and scale-up demand side measures in the Gulf country. The MoU was signed by Mr. Waled Alghreri, Chief Executive Officer, National Energy Services Company and Mr. Saurabh Kumar, Managing Director, EESL.

As per the MoU, EESL will provide consultancy and expand the capacity of the National Energy Services Company, which is instituted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to execute energy efficiency programmes. The move comes in the wake of the Arab Kingdom working ardently towards reducing its power subsidies and introducing energy efficiency initiatives. With rapidly increasing population coupled with soaring energy prices, the electricity demand of Saudi Arabia is growing at a rapid pace. According to the estimates by the World Bank, the electricity generated in Saudi Arabia completely relies on non-renewable sources like oil, gas and coal sources .

Keeping this in mind, the National Energy Services Company has engaged with EESL to replicate the success of latter’s street lighting national programme and retrofit of buildings, with energy efficient appliances in Saudi Arabia.

EESL has also agreed to depute its officials in Saudi Arabia to provide technical and financial consultancy and monitor the execution of energy efficiency projects.

EESL is working towards promoting energy efficiency in all sectors and is implementing the world’s largest energy-efficiency portfolio (worth £5.6bn over a period of 3 years), marking a 20-fold growth. So far, EESL has retrofitted over 23 crore LED bulbs and 20 crore smart LED streetlights across India through self-sustaining commercial models. In a short span, EESL has retrofitted energy efficient appliances in nearly 30 buildings and has a strong pipeline of covering 1500 more buildings. EESL has pioneered innovative business approaches to successfully roll-out large-scale programmes that allow for incentive alignment across the value chain and rapidly drive transformative impact. EESL aims to leverage this implementation experience and exploit the new opportunities overseas to diversify its portfolio. As of now, EESL has begun its operations in UK, South Asia and South-East Asia.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas
23-February, 2018 17:37 IST
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan meets Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan here today held a meeting with Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of Saudi Aramco, H.E. Eng. Khalid A. Al-Falih. Minister Falih is on an official visit to India from 22-26th February, 2018.

The meeting is in continuation of rising engagement between both the countries in the hydrocarbon sector. Both the Ministers have met at least four times in the last one year in Davos, Bangkok, Vienna and Houston. India’s engagement with Saudi is important as it is the largest oil producer in the world. Saudi is among India’s largest energy suppliers being the 2nd largest supplier of crude and LPG. In 2016-17 India’s crude imports from Saudi were 39.5 MMT out of total imports of 214MMT which was around 18.5% of our total imports.

During the meeting, Shri Pradhan mentioned Saudi Arabia’s eminence as a leading import source for crude and LPG to India. Shri Pradhan shared details of various investment opportunities in India in downstream and upstream sectors. He also invited Saudi participation in Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) Programme. The Saudi side also provided details of investment opportunities for Indian companies in their country. Both sides agreed to conclude discussions regarding concrete investment proposals in a time-bound manner.





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The Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Khalid Al-Falih calls on the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, in New Delhi on February 23, 2018.

The Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Khalid Al-Falih calls on the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, in New Delhi on February 23, 2018.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas
18-May, 2018 12:18 IST
Saudi Oil Minister telephonic discussion with Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources H.E. Khalid Al-Falih called Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas of India to discuss continued joint cooperation between the two countries and in particular the current oil market situation. Al-Falih updated Minister Pradhan on his ongoing consultations with colleagues from major producing countries both inside and outside of OPEC, including Alexander Novak, Minister of Energy, Russia and Suhail Al Mazroui, Minister of Energy of the UAE who is also the President of the OPEC Conference.

Minister Pradhan expressed his concern about rising prices and its negative impact on consumers and the Indian economy. Minister Pradhan emphasised his desire for stable and moderate prices. Minister Al-Falih assured Minister Pradhan that supporting global economic growth is one of the Kingdom’s key goals. He reiterated his commitment towards stable supplies and that the Kingdom together with other producers will ensure availability of adequate supplies to offset any potential shortfalls and ensure that prices remain reasonable.

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[Hindustani78]

SABIC is confident in terms of understanding the Indian market, says CEO Al-Benyan. | Photo Credit: Reuters

https://www.thehindu.com/business/I...ce-in-india/article25137967.ece?homepage=true
MUMBAI, October 05, 2018 22:31 IST
Updated: October 05, 2018 22:55 IST

Plans to leverage on specialty chemicals

Saudi Arabian petrochemicals major SABIC is looking to expand its presence in India. This, after Saudi Aramco, a leading global energy firm, picked up stake in a proposed $44 billion refinery project in India.

Growth strategy

“We have made a growth strategy for 2025 and one of the objectives is to grow our basic chemicals and leverage our specialty chemicals in India,” Yousef Abdullah Al-Benyan, vice-chairman and CEO, SABIC, said on the sidelines of an industry conference. India’s chemical industry is projected to reach $300 billion by 2025 at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8-10%, according to reports, and SABIC wanted to be a part of this, he said.

When asked if the company had identified any opportunities for acquisitions, Mr. Al-Benyan said, “There are certain opportunities that we are looking and hopefully we will be able to materialise them soon. All options are available.”

SABIC has invested more than $100 million in its technology and innovation centre in Bengaluru, one of the largest investments in India by a Saudi company. The focus has been to build research competencies to support growing market needs in India and worldwide.

“Given that SABIC has been present in India for more than 25 years, we are confident in terms of understanding the Indian market and being able to generate value for all stakeholders, the government, our customers and business partners. We acknowledge the opportunities in India, and positively hope to continue strengthening our footprint and partnerships here,” Mr. Al-Benyan said.

“India and Saudi Arabia are nations on the move. We both have economies with enormous potential. This potential is being unlocked by two new visions that represent the hopes and aspirations of the people in India and of Saudi Arabia – the Saudi Vision 2030 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘New India 2022’, he said at the India Chem 2018 — 10th Biennial International Exhibition & Conference in Mumbai.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Commerce & Industry
26-November, 2018 13:25 IST
Delegation of Indian Infra Companies Heads to Riyadh

Efforts on to Tap into USD 500 billion Mega City Projects

The Economic Diplomacy (ED) Division of Ministry of External Affairs and Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) is taking a delegation of representatives of top infrastructure, housing and allied sectors and entertainment industry to Riyadh, on November 27-28, 2018,to explore possible contracts and investment opportunities in the USD 500 billion futuristic mega city Projects being developed in Saudi Arabia. The delegation is being headed by Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, Manoj Bharti.

During the two-day visit, beginning on November 27, 2018, the industry representatives will interact with key decision makers of the Saudi Government and industry.The infrastructure projects are part of the Kingdom’s initiative to expand their economy through major structural changes by developing mega projects like NEOM, new roads and railroads, airports and sea ports, development of Qiddiya entertainment city and Red Sea Tourism Project.

With an aim to generate alternate sources of wealth and reduce dependence on oil-based economy, Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Saudi Arabia in particular, are investing heavily in infrastructure development. The projects coming up in Saudi Arabia are part of ‘Vision 2030’, launched by the Kingdom,in order to shift from an oil-based economy to an industrial manufacturing-based productive economy.

The Vision 2030 is expected to open up new opportunities for Indian companies and professionals in various sectors like railways, hospitality, tourism, airport, housing, IT and entertainment.

Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority has recently issued more than 400 licenses to Indian firms. There is also scope for Indian companies to partner in the high speed 450-km railway line linking Mecca and Medina and construction of an airport in Jeddah.

Indian investments in Saudi Arabia is worthUSD 1.5 billionand Saudi Arabia has invested USD16 million in India.

Saudi Arabia is the fourth largest trading partner of India with bilateral trade exceeding USD 25 billion in 2016-17. As India’s largest supplier of crude oil, Saudi Arabia accounts for about 20% of India’s total annual imports.

The 3.2 million strong Indian community is the largest expatriate group in Saudi Arabia and sends USD10 billion of annual remittances back to India.



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[Sanchez]

It's all rubbish! How could an extremist hindu get along with an Islamic extremist? It's all about short term interests.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Commerce & Industry
28-November, 2018 15:10 IST
Saudi-India Business Meeting Held in Riyadh

Saudi India Business meeting with Council of Saudi Chambers

Saudi-India Business meeting was held with Council of Saudi Chambers during the visit of the Indian Infrastructure & Housing delegation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi delegation was headed by Kamel S. Almunajjed, Chairman of Saudi Indian Business Council and the Indian side was led byManoj K Bharti, Additional Secretary, ED Division, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

Speaking to the Indian delegation, the Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Javed, said that there are important changes taking place in SaudiArabia and India is one of the 8 countries on the preferred list of Saudi Arabia.More proactive participationfrom Indian companies for business, trade and regional cooperation in being welcomed.

Additional Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, promised thatthe Government of India is committed to work for enhancing the relationship between the two countries and the Indian companies in this delegation are more than willing to bring their professional expertise to Saudi Arabia.

The meeting was attended by top officials and CEOs of companies of Saudi Arabia.

The Indian delegation is being represented by several leading infra and housing companies.

Construction for housing and infrastructure is a booming sector in Saudi Arabia with mega projects like NEOM, Qiddiya and Red Sea Entertainment being set up. There is also greatopportunity for India to explore in the entertainment sector as the Saudi Government is aiming to curb the flow of people of Saudi abroad for leisure and entertainment and attract foreign tourists to Saudi Arabia.





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MM/ SB

It's all rubbish! How could an extremist hindu get along with an Islamic extremist? It's all about short term interests.

Real Hinduvadis are having strong relationship with Muslim world and if you think that BJP are after Hindutva and working to Rebuilt Bhagwan Shree Rama Mandir in Ayodhya then its open in front of the whole Indian Nation that BJP Government has just prolong the Mandir reconstruction and never wanted the reconstruction of Bhagwan Shree Rama Mandir in Ayodhya similar like the Somnath Mandir.