Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince is named country’s Prime ...

Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince is named country’s Prime Minister

Sept. 29, 2022

In News:

By royal decree, Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was recently appointed as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The 37-year-old Crown Prince, abbreviated MBS, has taken the lead of Vision2030, the kingdom's comprehensive plan to transform its economy and end its reliance on oil.
In this context, we will attempt to examine the India-Saudi Arabia bilateral relationship.

What’s in today’s article:

About the India-Saudi Arabia Bilateral Relations

India-Saudi Arabia Bilateral Relations:

Background:
- India and Saudi Arabia enjoy cordial and friendly relations reflecting the centuries old economic and socio-cultural ties.
- The establishment of diplomatic relations in 1947 was followed by high-level visits from both sides, which further consolidated bilateral relations.
- The historic visit of King Abdullah to India in 2006 was a watershed moment that resulted in the signing of the ‘Delhi Declaration’, imparting a fresh momentum to the bilateral relationship.
- The reciprocal visit by then Prime Minister of India (Dr. Manmohan Singh) to Saudi Arabia in 2010 and the signing of the ‘Riyadh Declaration’ elevated the bilateral relationship to a ‘Strategic Partnership’.
Relations gaining momentum in recent years:
- The visit of the then Crown Prince (now King) Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud to India in 2014 further deepened the relations between the two countries, particularly in the area of defence cooperation.
- The visit of Prime Minister of India to Riyadh in 2016 captured the spirit of enhanced cooperation in the political, economic, security and defence realms.
- The visit of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (now Prime Minister) to India in 2019 (February) further took forward this momentum.
  - During the visit, it was announced that the Kingdom would invest approximately US$100 billion in India in the fields of investment, tourism, housing, exchange of audio-visual programmes, etc.
  - An agreement was also signed to pave the way for Saudi Arabia to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
- The Prime Minister of India visited Riyadh again in 2019 (October), during which the Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) Agreement was signed, which established a high-level council to steer the Indo-Saudi relationship.
Analysing current status of bilateral relations:
- Economic cooperation:
  - Saudi Arabia is India’s fourth largest trading partner. More than 18% of India’s crude oil imports are sourced from Saudi Arabia.
  - During FY22 (Apr-Dec), bilateral trade was valued at US$29.28 billion. During this period, India’s imports from Saudi Arabia were valued at US$22.65 billion and exports to Saudi Arabia were worth US$6.63 billion.
- Cultural relations:
  - Yoga has become a very popular activity in Saudi Arabia, particularly after it was recognized as a ‘sports activity’ in 2017.
    - On International Yoga Day 2021, an MoU on Yoga Cooperation was signed between the Saudi Ministry of Sports and India’s Ministry of AYUSH, which paved the way for the establishment of formal Yoga standards and courses in the Kingdom.
  - The annual Hajj pilgrimage is another important component of Indo-Saudi bilateral relations.
    - During the Crown Prince’s visit to New Delhi in 2019, it was announced that India’s Hajj quota would be increased, enabling 2,00,000 Indians to perform Hajj in August 2019.
  - The year 2021-22 commemorates 75 years of India’s independence as ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
    - This celebration also coincides with 75 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Saudi Arabia.
    - As part of this celebration, from May 2021 to August 2023, the Embassy will host a variety of events, including cultural events, exhibitions, international film festivals and sports events.
  - Indian community in Saudi Arabia:
    - The approximately 2 million strong Indian community is the largest expatriate community in the Kingdom.
    - The contributions made by the Indian community to the development of Saudi Arabia are well acknowledged.
    - In 2019, the two sides announced that India’s e-Migrate system would be integrated with the Kingdom’s e-Thawtheeq system to streamline the migration process for workers.
  - Collaboration during COVID-19:
    - In order to deal with the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, the Prime Minister of India and the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman planned to convene an extraordinary G20 Virtual Summit, which was held in March,
    - Throughout the pandemic, both nations have been sharing national experiences and supporting each other to ensure continued flow of food, medicines and other essential items.
    - For example, in 2021, India provided 4.5 million COVISHIELD vaccines to the Kingdom, whereas, during the second wave, the latter provided India with COVID-relief material, particularly liquid oxygen.
    - With the support of the Kingdom, a large-scale repatriation exercise of the Indian community, which has led to more than 8,00,000 Indians being repatriated through Vande Bharat Mission.