Trade, Manpower and Political Interactions Dominate India-Saudi Arabia Relations: Saud Mohammed A Al-Sati

April 10, 2015

New Delhi: Reflecting on India-Saudi Arabia relations, HE Dr Saud Mohammed A Al-Sati, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Republic of India today said that both the nations enjoy cordial and friendly relations, reflecting the centuries-old economic and socio-cultural ties. Trade, manpower and political interactions are the dominant factors for further strengthening the ties between the two nations, he noted.

The Ambassador was speaking about developments in West Asia, particularly about the situation in Yemen, at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) on April 10.

Saudi Arabia views India as an important country with which it can do business and forge security ties in order to deal with terrorism and piracy, said the Ambassador. Bilateral trade between the two countries is reaching 49 billion dollars mark and his country is working towards making the investment environment more hospitable to further strengthen trade ties with India, he added.

Speaking further on strong commercial relations with India, the Ambassador said that Saudi Arabia and India also share a strong bond in the energy sector, with Saudi Arabia emerging as a reliable source of oil to India.

Commenting on Yemen crisis, Ambassador Al Sati held that Saudi Arabia has strong social, cultural and economic relations with Yemen and his nation along with the other GCC countries would want to see the end of the crisis soon. Although ceasefire in Yemen will be an ideal first step to dialogue, but given conflicting positions of the warring factions, it can only be achieved if the Houthi rebels refrain from further aggression and surrender their weapons. They should accept and support the legitimate government of Yemen to ensure complete peace, stated the Ambassador.

Analysing Iranian role in the Yemen crisis, Ambassador Al-Sati said that the Houthi rebel fighters’ successful coup in Yemen is primarily due to the ideological support and technical training that Iran has been offering them.

Reacting to a comment that Saudi Arabia and Iran should come together for peace and development in the region, he said that Iran has to find a way of cooperating with other players in the region and putting an end to its policy of interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. He refused to accept the proposition that ongoing turbulence in the entire region was buffeted by Shia-Sunni sectarian divide and held that wrong policies of states were responsible for it.