New Delhi: India has reiterated its commitment to deepening strategic ties with Saudi Arabia, days after the national security advisor, Ajit Doval, held a round of meetings with senior Saudi officials in Riyadh.
Responding to a question at the Ministry of External Affairs’ weekly briefing on Friday, the spokesman, Randhir Jaiswal, said India regularly holds such conversations with partner countries, and the national security advisor’s visit to Riyadh formed part of that ongoing dialogue. He added that New Delhi hoped to keep building the relationship through the NSA-level mechanism the two countries maintain.
Doval’s meetings in Riyadh
Doval travelled to the Saudi capital on July 20, where he met the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, and the minister of state, cabinet member and national security advisor, Dr Musaad Al-Aiban. Dr Saud Al-Sati also took part in the discussions.
The talks reviewed the regional security situation as well as progress in the India-Saudi strategic partnership. In its own statement on X, Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said the two sides had reviewed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries, and had discussed recent regional developments.
Energy security
Energy cooperation featured prominently in the discussions. Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said the two sides had also discussed efforts to enhance energy security and protect maritime corridors. Separately, Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry said Doval and Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman had reviewed two-way energy collaboration and looked at ways to widen it, with an emphasis on joint measures to strengthen energy security and ensure stable supplies.
The two sides also discussed stability of fuel supplies, secure supply chains, joint efforts to protect international waterways and coordination on regional and international issues of shared concern. Officials on both sides said the meetings had reaffirmed the commitment of India and Saudi Arabia to strengthen bilateral relations and expand diplomatic and energy cooperation going forward.
Deep economic ties
The renewed engagement builds on a relationship that has grown steadily since 2019, when the prime minister, Narendra Modi, and the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, set up the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council to give the relationship an institutional structure spanning political, security, trade, defence and cultural cooperation.
Energy remains the backbone of the relationship. Saudi Arabia continues to be one of India’s largest sources of crude oil and petroleum products, and the two countries maintain steady trade and investment cooperation. The two sides also cooperate closely in defence industries and capacity building.
The human dimension of the partnership is sizeable too. The Indian community in Saudi Arabia numbers close to 2.7 million people, a diaspora the ministry of external affairs has described as a living bridge between the two nations, and one that is widely respected in the kingdom for its contribution to the country’s development.
Doval’s Riyadh visit follows a period of heightened diplomatic activity across the Gulf, as New Delhi looks to balance its energy and security interests amid continuing regional turbulence, including tensions in the Red Sea and instability in Yemen. Neither side has indicated when the next round of NSA-level talks will be held.