Consul General of India ON the occasion of the 70th Independence Day of India, it gives me immense pleasure to extend my warm greetings and best wishes to all Indian nationals, persons of Indian origin, friends and well wishers of India especially those living and working in the western province of Saudi Arabia. On Aug. 15, 1947, India won its freedom after a long struggle and huge sacrifices. Therefore, on this day, we Indians remember the great sacrifices of our freedom fighters and celebrate this freedom with great pride and enthusiasm. India and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong historical relations and people to people contacts. The recent visit of the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in April 2016 heralded a new era of bilateral cooperation and consolidated the strategic relationship between the two countries. Saudi Arabia is India's fourth largest trade partner and a major source of energy. It is the 8th largest market in the world for Indian exports. The fact that about 3 million Indians are living and working peacefully in Saudi Arabia, is yet another proof of the existence of excellent relations between the two countries. The Indian nationals, through their diligence and high sense of discipline, have earned the faith and goodwill of the host country and have emerged as a vibrant and dynamic section of the Saudi civil society. I take this opportunity to salute their contribution and congratulate them for building the brand image of India. This year's Haj is already under way. A total of 1,36,000 Indian nationals will be performing Haj. We have made elaborate arrangements for their transportation, accommodation and medical needs in addition to overall logistical arrangements to make their Haj as comfortable as possible. I take this opportunity to thank all Saudi authorities for their excellent cooperation. At the same time, I extend my best wishes to the government of Saudi Arabia for a smooth and successful Haj 2016. We at the Consulate General of India, Jeddah remain committed to the welfare of the Indian Diaspora in this part of the Kingdom. It is our endeavor to provide expeditious services to them as well as to the Saudi citizens and to all those who approach us. Jai Hind!
