On the occasion of the 66th Independence Day of India, it gives me immense pleasure to extend my sincere greetings and good wishes to all Indians and well wishers of India living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. On 15 August 1947, India won its freedom after a long struggle and huge sacrifices. Therefore, Indians celebrate this freedom with pride and enthusiasm wherever they live in the world. It is a matter of great satisfaction that over two million Indians in KSA who are the largest foreign diaspora in this country have been playing an important role and contributing to the development of Saudi Arabia. Their positive role, contributions, sincerity and hard work are highly appreciated by all Saudis. We are proud that our people who represent different regions and speak different languages have been living here peacefully and maintaining discipline thus earning goodwill from the host country for themselves and India. The fact that Indians are the largest overseas community in Saudi Arabia is proof of the respect which they have earned. Under the enlightened and sagacious leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the Kingdom is witnessing remarkable progress and diversifying its economy. India and Saudi Arabia have historical and civilizational ties which go back several millennia. These ties have been marked by mutual goodwill, amity and respect. The tone for our relations in the 21st century was set by the landmark visit to India of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah in January 2006 as the chief guest at our Republic Day celebrations, and the Delhi Declaration that was signed. This momentum was further strengthened following the visit of our Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Saudi Arabia in 2010 and the signing of Riyadh Declaration. These visits have led to a qualitative upgradation of our strategic trade and investment relations with KSA making the Kingdom as one of India's major trading partners. Indo-Saudi bilateral trade has registered unprecedented growth in recent years and crossed $25 billion in 2011. There is nevertheless immense potential for further economic cooperation between our two countries. Last year 170,000 Indian pilgrims performed Haj. We are grateful for the warm welcome the Kingdom has given to the Indian community and to Indian pilgrims and the facilities provided by Saudi authorities for them. These guests of God were full of praise for King Abdullah and the Government of Saudi Arabia for the excellent arrangements. It is our endeavor at the Consulate to provide the best and most efficient services to the Indian community and Saudi citizens approaching us. We shifted to our new office on Tahalia Street in March this year and have tried to make the new premises comfortable for our visitors. Our efforts are directed to constant improvement in our services, upgradation in quality and reduction in time taken for disposal. Help and guidance to Indians in distress or in need is given utmost importance. For the information of our Saudi brethren, we have set up information kiosks – Visit India, Study in India and Invest in India in the Consulate premises. On this occasion, I would also like to remind fellow Indians to live up to the ideals and values which our freedom fighters stood for and to always remember that you are also representing your country in this holy land.Jai Hind! Faiz Ahmad Kidwai
