58-year-old H.E. Dr. Saeed has been serving as the ambassador since April 2019 in the Kingdom. He has extensively  worked on various political, economic, consular and cultural issues, besides Hajj management. During his tenure India and Saudi Arabia witnessed a great deal of cooperation in the areas which were unexplored in the yesteryear.

Some of the outstanding achievements during his service in 2021 are: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Indian premier Modi were connected via teleconference in March. In September, Saudi Foreign Minister H.E. Faisal Bin Farhan visited India. 

Then in November, Secretary General of the GCC Nayef bin Falah Al-Hajraf visited India.

The farewell event was organized to honor his contributions and to prize his efforts towards the Indian community living in the Kingdom.

Indian vocalist Vashundhra Raturi, who is famous for her performances on India’s national channels, gave her melodious performance   with Late. Lata Mangeshkar’s songs to honor the Ambassador and the First Lady.

Saudi artist Ahmed Sultan famous for his outstanding talent to sing Bollywood songs joined Raturi, and the duo enchanted the audience.

Later, Saudi sword dancers performed their traditional Najdi-styled Ardha dance to honor the Indian Ambassador and the Indian community for their contributions in building Saudi Arabia.

H.E. Dr. Saeed talked about how Indians are leading at top positions in Google, Microsoft, etc. while emphasizing the point that talented Indian diaspora is the strength of the country.

He said, India and Saudi Arabia has got back to the trade levels of 2014-15, after the challenging times of pandemic.

He said, India became the second largest trading partner of Saudi Arabia during the pandemic period, and India’s record of exports is expected around 8.5 Billion, and so are the Saudi exports to India.

He further said, “Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman would guide the relationship to a new path and new trajectory, and realize the full potential of our relationship which is not just recent one, but formal diplomatic relations of 75-years”.

Moreover, H.E. Dr. Saeed said that India and Saudi Arabia in future would boost cooperation in the areas like Counter-Terrorism and Defense. He also said that Saudi Arabia will soon have high-class Indian educational institutions like IIT.

Prominent Indian entrepreneur and director of World Business Group (WBG) Dr. Ashraf Ali, was the key coordinator of the event.

General Manager of Masah, Engineer Abdul Nayeem who is hailed for his far-visioned business strategies, expressed his gratitude to the Ambassador and wished him good luck for his future endeavors.

Engineer Nayeem has 30 years of construction businesses experience, with a beeline of extraordinary structures, such as Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib hospitals and Ajdan Waterfront.

His organization built over 10 Multi-speciality Hospitals, and 7 towers, and it has accomplished several turnkey projects and provided comprehensive services and core solutions in the construction industry. 

Embassy of India in Saudi Arabia on Thursday celebrated the 7th Constitution Day of India or ‘Samvidhan Divas’ as part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsava’ with a spectacular photo exhibition on the life of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, and an exemplary display of books on the Constitution of India.

2021 marks the 72nd anniversary of the adoption of the Indian Constitution while the nation celebrates 75 glorious years of the country’s independence from the colonial rule.

The event was graced by the Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed and Madam Farha Sayeed, including the members of the Indian Community representing all states of India residing in Saudi Arabia.

The exhibition was inaugurated by lighting of the auspicious lamp by the Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed and Madam Farha Sayeed.

The ambience inside the Indian cultural hall at the Diplomatic Quarter was filled with a beautiful feeling of togetherness as community members joined the Ambassador in reading the preamble to the constitution in harmony.

The day is celebrated to acknowledge the contribution of the framers of the constitution to make the citizens aware of their constitutional values.

The Constitution Day was celebrated for the first time on November 26, 2015 on the occasion of 125th birth anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar – the ‘Father of the Indian Constitution’, who was the chief architect of the country’s constitution.

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was a renowned social reformer, politician, jurist and the first law minister of India. He is remembered for his exemplary leadership in laying out the constitution as the foundational pillar supporting the largest and the most diverse democracy in the world.

The day is celebrated to pay tribute to the founders of our Constitution who realized the challenges and strengths of India that helped India emerge as a democratic economic hub and an international power.

Shahzeen Eram is a Riyadh-based journalist and writer. She is the Founder and President of Global Jharkhand Welfare Association (GJWA).