A large delegation of Saudi businessmen led by Dr. Abdul Rahman A. Al-Rabiah, Chairman of Al-Rabiah Group and Co-chairman of Saudi-Indian Business Council arrived in New Delhi on Thursday. 17 April 2008 to participate in India-Arab Investment Projects Conclave organized by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in cooperation with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. The Conclave is being attended by  business delegations from seventeen Arab countries. His Excellency Mr. Salman Sulaiman Al-Safi, Minister of State for Investment of Sudan also attended the Conclave heading the Sudanese delegation.

            Inaugurating the Conclave, the Hon'ble External Affairs Minister of India, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee elaborated on Indo-Arab relations and the need to further strengthen them, specially in economic and investment fields. The Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to India Mr. Saleh Mohd. Al-Ghamdi, who is also the Dean of Arab Diplomatic Corps in New Delhi, also delivered a speech in which he pointed out to the great surge in the relations between India and the Arab World. The Ambassador also made a special mention of the unprecedented growth witnessed by Saudi-Indian relations in all fields of mutual cooperation.

            The Conclave will continue for two days during which the Arab businessmen will meet their Indian counterparts to explore business and investment opportunities in order to take the relations to higher levels. An expert from the Saudi Arabian  General Investment Authority is also attending the Conclave.