Saudi Arabia, the largest Arab nation, is rapidly strengthening its ties with India. While India’s strong relationship with Dubai is well known, Saudi Arabia is now actively planning to take its friendship with India to an entirely new level. A series of important meetings held recently in Saudi Arabia have resulted in emerging military and defence agreements between the two countries — developments that are reportedly causing significant unease in neighbouring Pakistan.
The story began in the Saudi city of Jeddah, where senior officials from both nations held confidential discussions. India’s representative Fahad Ahmad Khan Soori and Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry official Ibrahim bin Saeed Al-Subhi met face-to-face to deliberate on the future of bilateral relations. Saudi Arabia’s importance to India extends well beyond oil — millions of Indian nationals are employed there, contributing substantially to both economies. The Saudi government therefore takes the welfare of its Indian residents seriously and maintains close, ongoing contact with New Delhi.
The growing partnership is not limited to diplomacy. On the same day as the Jeddah meeting, a separate high-level military meeting took place in the Saudi capital Riyadh. India’s Ambassador Dr. Suhail Ajaz Khan met directly with senior Saudi Defence Ministry official Iyad Abdul Malik Al-Alsheikh. The discussions covered joint military cooperation, along with sharing of advanced weapons and technology. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh officially stated that these talks were aimed at further deepening trust and strengthening the bond between the two nations — a development that has set off alarm bells in Pakistan.