Lecture by Ambassador Saleh Mohd. Al-Ghamdi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Republic of India at the Centre for West Asian and African Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University,
New Delhi.
On 8th November 2007.
Dear Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am very happy to be invited here today to talk about my country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the process of all-round development, change and reform that it is undergoing nowadays as well as the fast-expanding horizons of bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and India. I am thankful to the Centre for West Asian and African Studies for giving me this opportunity to meet and interact with you in this great seat of learning. A very special thanks to Dr. Gulshan Dietl for inviting me to this prestigious centre.
As you may be aware, there is a quiet and steady process of transformation going on in Saudi Arabia under the visionary leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. This process is very extensive and result-oriented, covering almost all walks of life in the Kingdom. The core of this reform process lies in the leadership’s firm resolve to make the country a modern one based on true values of Islam and to make the Saudi people, especially the youth, capable of facing the challenges of the 21st century. The Kingdom, at the same time, takes every care to see that the march on the path of change and modernization should be gradual so as to avoid any disruption or dislocation in the process.
Now I would like to briefly update you about some of the salient features of the transformation the Kingdom has witnessed in recent years.
Political Reforms
During the last few years, Saudi Arabia has taken very significant steps towards streamlining the system of governance and broadening the popular participation in the political process. One such development was the holding of first ever elections for municipal councils in 2005 which marked an important step in the Kingdom’s ongoing reform agenda. The Kingdom has also enhanced the legislative role of the 160-member Majlis as-Shura, the Consultative Council, to make it more effective. The Council is now empowered to propose and debate new bills or propose amendments to the existing laws without prior permission of the King.
Another landmark development is the recent proclamation of a new succession law that would facilitate smooth transfer of power and end any uncertainty caused by the inability of a King or Crown Prince to run the affairs of the State as a result of poor health. Under the law issued by King Abdullah, a high-power committee of senior Princes known as Allegiance Commission has been set up to select future generations of Kings and Crown Princes.
Judicial Reforms
The Kingdom has also taken important steps towards streamlining and modernizing its judicial system. In this regard, two new laws concerning the judicial and grievances systems were issued by a royal decree early last month, whereby the whole judicial system has been restructured in order to strengthen its independence and increase its efficiency and transparency.
The Judicial Law consisting of 8 chapters and 85 articles safeguards the independence of the judiciary and defines the jurisdiction and powers of the courts as well as the duties of the judges and the supervisory role of the Ministry of Justice in administrative and financial affairs. It also lays down the procedure for appointment, promotion and retirement of the judges.
The new law provides for establishment of Supreme Court and specialized labour and commercial tribunals. It emphasizes the authority of judges in taking independent decisions without any outside influence or intervention.
The Kingdom has also allocated SR 7 billion to upgrade judicial facilities.
National Dialogue
In August 2003 King Abdullah, the then Crown Prince, announced setting up of King Abdulaziz Centre for National Dialogue to promote the public exchange of ideas on all matters of national importance in a free and responsible manner. This national forum has organized several rounds of deliberations in various major cities of the Kingdom on delicate issues concerning politics, economy, religion and society with the participation of eminent scholars, thinkers, academicians and religious leaders. It has made immense contribution towards promoting a culture of dialogue, free and frank exchange of ideas, respect to diverse opinions, bringing various sections of the society together and closer and strengthening the Islamic values of moderation and tolerance.
This institution of national dialogue has been a catalyst in bringing about very positive changes in the society and triggering healthy and constructive debates in the media on issues and
Problems of the society as well as international developments of relevance to the Kingdom. One major contribution of this forum has been to define the extremism in all its forms and manifestations, highlight its dangers and emphasize the need to address the underlying causes of extremism.
Empowerment of women
Contrary to the myths and stereotypes propagated by some vested interests, women in Saudi Arabia are assuming increasingly prominent role in the society. They are becoming an increasingly critical part of the economic activities also. In fact, women in Saudi Arabia have been big players in large and small businesses for decades and now they are entering and conquering non-conventional professions such as journalism, advertising and marketing in addition to their traditional field of teaching. Women now have been elected onto the boards of professional organizations including the Saudi Engineers Council, the Saudi Journalists Association and the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
According to a recent study, Saudi women account for 56.5 percent of total university graduates and 40 percent of Saudi doctors. Of the total Saudi workforce in the Kingdom, 14 percent are women, with 30 percent of them concentrated in education. More importantly, women now own more than 20,000 companies and establishments and hold 21 percent of the total private investments.
King Abdullah in his speeches and addresses to the nation has always stressed the role of women in the nation’s progress and development. He said, “We will never allow anyone to undermine Saudi women or marginalize their effective role in the progress of society”. Under King Abdullah’s wise leadership, women today are provided with more opportunities to prove their potential in both the
Government and private institutions. Reforms have been introduced to meet the challenges of integrating women into the workforce and providing the necessary training to help them meet market requirements, raising the standard of education and allowing the participation of women in the decision-making process.
Among the many developments that indicate the growing role of women in society is their participation in the National Dialogue which gave them an opportunity to voice their opinion about issues that are of vital concern to the community. Also their involvement in the human rights organization enables them to protect women’s rights and address their needs and problems. The participation of women in the Shoura and municipal councils as well as Shariah courts are among the issues being addressed in the Shoura Council debates. The Shoura Council has many women Councellors and invites women in some of its sessions as observers.
A manifestation of women’s advancement in the Kingdom was the recent visit to India of 50 Saudi girl students from Jeddah based Dar Al-Hekma college who were received by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi in February 2007. Dar Al-Hekma is Saudi Arabia’s first private non-profit college for women.
The students were on a week-long educational and familiarization trip to India as part of college’s programme to expose its students to world’s rich and diverse cultures.
Education
Conscious of the fact that the youth of the Kingdom are the most valuable resource of the country, the Government of Saudi Arabia is making huge efforts and investments in order to provide them with best educational facilities and prepare them for the opportunities and challenges of this globalized world. For 2007, the
Government has allocated SR 96.7 billion for education including technical and vocational training. This represents an increase of 11 percent on the level budgeted for 2006. Over the next few years, the Kingdom will be building some 2,600 new schools, 50 new technical colleges and more than 100 training institutes. The budget for 2007 includes opening of four new universities in Tabuk, Albaha, Najran and a girls university in Riyadh, in addition to opening of a number of new colleges, technical institutes and vocational training centres both for boys and girls.
The most recent and gigantic educational project launched by the Kingdom is the ‘King Abdullah University of Science and Technology’, which has been planned to serve as a lighthouse of knowledge and as a bridge between cultures. The cornerstone of this $12.5 billion project, to be set up at a village on the Red Sea coast 80 Km to the North of Jeddah, was laid by King Abdullah on 21st October 2007 in a ground-breaking ceremony attended by 1500 learned men and women of all faiths from various countries including India. This University will be a co-educational institution and its students will be drawn from across the world.
The launch of this university, which will open in September 2009, is a significant event not only in the history of Saudi Arabia but also the region and the world as it aspires to place itself among the leading international universities that exist in the world today. It will be governed by an independent board of directors and the money for the university will come from an exclusive and generous endowment set up by Kingd Abdullah.
The Kingdom is also upgrading its educational system. A comprehensive internal revision and modernizing plan is being implemented. New curricula emphasize critical thinking, maths and science as they emphasize the teaching of true Islamic values. They
Also stress the positive skills necessary for good citizenship and productivity. The Government is taking all possible steps to ensure that our education system keeps pace with the demands of our citizens, our economy and those of the world community.
Saudi Arabia is also taking steps to broaden the horizons of its citizens and emphasize the value of cultural exchange. As you may know, King Abdullah has launched a student scholarship programme whereby Saudi students are being sent in large numbers to attend colleges and universities in foreign countries, including India, to learn and make friends and experience foreign cultures. This is part of the government efforts to prepare the youth of the Kingdom for the opportunities and challenges ahead, and enable them to compete effectively with their global peers and thus become active contributors to the global community.
Economic and Industrial Growth
At present, the Saudi economy is booming and it is at its best performing period ever. The year 2006 was a year of unprecedented fiscal performance as oil export revenues have been at an all time high of $ 191 billion, 18 percent above the previous year’s total which itself was a record. Part of the higher-than-anticipated revenue was used to lift spending over the budgeted level for developing basic infrastructure and services, but still the budget surplus in 2006 was the largest ever for the Kingdom at $ 70.7 billion.
The accession of the Kingdom to the World Trade Organization in December 2005 and the intensified pace of economic reforms have had a very positive impact on the Kingdom’s economy making it more competitive and liberalized. The climate for foreign investors has become more attractive leading to a surge in foreign investments. The World Bank in its latest report on “Doing Business” around the
World listed Saudi Arabia as having the best environment for business in the Middle East.
Economic Cities
In order to diversify the economy away from oil, promote investment in the Kingdom and create more jobs for its citizens, Saudi Arabia under the wise leadership of King Abdullah is spearheading massive economic and industrial projects. These include setting up of the following 4 economic cities that will usher in a new era in the development of the Kingdom:
1. King Abdullah Economic City : This 162 sq. Kilometer economic city will be located in Rabigh near the city of Jeddah along the Red Sea. The project cost is SR 200 billion (US $ 53 billion). The project was officially launched by King Abdullah in December 2005 and work on it has already started. It will have six components, which include seaport, industrial district, education zone, financial island, resorts and residential area. It is expected to become an important global destination and a catalyst to attract foreign investment and thus create more job opportunities for the citizens.
2. Knowledge Economic City in Madina: This city was launched by King Abdullah in June 2006 and it will comprise various zones designed to complement each other- a technology and knowledge based industries zone; an advanced IT Studies institute; an interactive museum on the life of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him); a centre for Islamic civilization studies; a campus for medical research and life sciences in addition to a medical services zone, a business district, shopping malls, residential areas as well as a mosque with 10,000 worshipper capacity. The city is
Planned to be an international knowledge-based industries centre.
3. Jizan Economic City: The foundation stone of this SR 100 billion ($ 26.6 billion) economic city was laid by King Abdullah during his visit to the region last November. Jizan is located in the South of the Kingdom on the Red Sea Coast. The planned city will include a port, an industrial zone, power and desalination plants and a residential area. The Ministry of Petroleum is also studying the prospects of setting up an oil refinery in Jizan. The Jizan Economic City will focus on heavy industries. It will also have secondary industries related to agriculture and fisheries and a research centre to support them. A regional centre for the distribution of iron ore will also be established.
4. Prince Abdulaziz bin Musaed Economic City in Hail in North Saudi Arabia. This city will be developed by a group of Saudi and Gulf investors. The project is designed to focus on promoting transportation and related logistical services.
All these mega projects in different parts of the country are part of Kingdom’s efforts to achieve balanced development all over the country, promote investments both domestic and foreign and create jobs for the youth. The four economic cities are expected to draw investments worth nearly SR 300 billion ($ 80 billion).
Saudi – Indian Relations
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to inform you that the bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and India have witnessed unprecedented growth and expansion since the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz undertook his historic visit
To India in January 2006. The Royal visit galvanized the relations to a new pitch. It changed the dynamics of bilateral ties – from mainly commercial and economic to scientific and technical cooperation with further strengthening the economic part of it. The visit triggered a lot of activities on both sides leading to greater cooperation in various fields of mutual interest including trade and investments, higher education, information and communication technology, health etc.,
Before and after the landmark visit of King Abdullah, a number of successive high-level visits have been exchanged and important agreements signed between the two countries in order to put into effect the vision of the leadership of the two countries to deepen and diversify our partnership for the benefit of our two peoples. To give you an idea of the growing relations, I will very briefly point out to the major bilateral exchanges and developments during the last one year or so.
- Soon after the royal visit in January 2006, the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia HRH Prince Saud Al-Faisal paid a follow-up visit to New Delhi in the 3rd week of February and delivered a message from King Abdullah to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh, reiterating Kingdom’s resolve to elevate the bilateral relations to new heights.
- Then in late May 2006, the Human Resource Development Minister of India Mr. Arjun Singh paid an important official visit to the Kingdom to discuss and finalize contours of joint cooperation in the field of education.
- This visit was reciprocated by the Minister of Higher Education of Saudi Arabia Dr. Khalid Al-Angari in November 2006. During the five-day visit of Dr. Al-Angari, an important Memorandum of Scientific and Educational Cooperation was signed by the two Ministers. Under the five-year agreement,
Saudi Arabia and India will encourage exchange of expertise and experiment in the scientific, technological and administrative fields in higher education institutions, universities and research centres with emphasis on information technology, computer science, mathematics and sciences. The agreement also provides for exchange of visits between officials, teaching faculty and researchers as well as for deputation of Saudi students to study in India.
- The Minister of Health of Saudi Arabia Dr. Hamad Al-Mane also paid an official visit to India in November 2006, during which a Memorandum of Understanding was signed to increase cooperation in the health sector. The MOU covers areas such as hospital consultancy and management of hospitals, recruitment of Indian doctors and paramedical staff for Saudi hospitals, import of Indian pharmaceuticals into Saudi Arabia, treatment of Saudi nationals in specialized Indian hospitals and training of Saudi nurses in India.
- In December 2006, the Vice Minister of Education for Girls Education Prince Khalid bin Abdullah bin Megren Al-Meshari came to New Delhi on an 8 day official visit that also took him to Bangalore and Thiruvanathapuram. Various aspects of cooperation in the field of girls education were discussed during the Vice Minister’s meetings with Indian officials including the Human Resource Development Minister Mr. Arjun Singh. The Vice Minister and the accompanying delegation also visited a number of leading educational institutions and information technology centres in India.
- In the 3rd week of January this year, the seventh round of Saudi-India Joint Commission meetings were held in New Delhi. The Commerce and Industry Minister of Saudi Arabia Dr. Hashim bin Abdullah Yamani led the Saudi delegation to
The Joint Commission meetings which reviewed the progress of bilateral cooperation in economic, commercial and investment fields and discussed ways and means to enhance the level and volume of trade and investment exchanges.
Around 50 Saudi business leaders representing various sectors accompanied the official delegation and held meetings with their counterparts in the Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry to discuss and finalize joint projects and collaborations. The second meeting of the Saudi-India Joint Business Council was also held on the sidelines of the Joint Commission meetings. A group of Saudi businessmen representing information technology companies in the Kingdom visited Bangalore and Hyderabad as well. The Minister Dr. Yamani paid a courtesy call on both the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and the External Affairs Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee.
- The month of January also saw the visit of Saudi Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Eng. Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Naimi to New Delhi to participate in the International Oil & Gas Conference (Petrotech 2007). The Minister also called on the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India.
- In February 2007, a delegation of Indian Parliament led by Speaker of the Lok Sabha Mr. Somnath Chatterjee paid a five-day visit to the Kingdom at the invitation of the Chairman of Saudi Shoura Council. The delegation held extensive meetings with senior officials in the Kingdom to discuss matters of mutual interest.
- The latest ministerial visit was that of Indian Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Panchayati Raj Mr. Mani Shankar
Aiyar who visited Saudi Arabia in mid- February 2007. During the visit, a number of decisions were taken to establish regular contacts and exchange visits between the youth of the two countries.
- Consequently, a Saudi youth delegation undertook a 12- daylong tour of India in July 2007. An Indian youth delegation has just completed a successful visit to Saudi Arabia where they toured parts of Saudi Arabia and had fruitful interaction with the Saudi youths.
Another important development was the opening of a Saudi School in New Delhi in September 2006, the first of its kind to be opened in India by the Saudi Government. The School was inaugurated by the Minister of Human Resource Development of India Mr. Arjun Singh. It aims at catering to the educational requirements of the students belonging to the families of Saudi and Arab diplomats, posted in India. As the Hon’ble Minister Mr. Arjun Singh said “The Saudi School will be another link in our bilateral relations”.
I would also like to inform you that the State Bank of India is going to open its full-fledged branch in the Kingdom very soon. Almost all the formalities in this regard have been completed and the Bank is set to start functioning in Saudi Arabia any moment.
All these developments reflect the growing depth and warmth of our relations and the determination of the leadership of the two countries to take them to higher levels. The volume of bilateral trade has gone up to record levels reaching US$ 10 billion. The volume of investments between the two countries has also soared in recent months surpassing 3 billion dollars on both sides.
I am very confident that the momentum of this growing partnership will not only be sustained but will be further strengthened in the days, months and years to come.
Moderation and Tolerance
Ladies and gentlemen,
Before I conclude, I would like to stress that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a staunch advocate of moderation, tolerance and peaceful coexistence. Moderation is the hallmark of Kingdom’s policies and positions on all domestic, regional and international issues. We do not approve of the terms like ‘clash of civilizations’. We firmly believe that the need of the hour is to build bridges of understanding between various communities and religions, through dialogue and healthy exchange of ideas, and we translate this belief into action. The most recent manifestation of Kingdom’s policy in this respect was the visit of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz to Vatican city where the King held a historic meeting with Pope Benedict and discussed with him the relations between the Muslims and Christians of the world and the ways to promote dialogue and understanding between the two great religions.
Thank you very much for your kind attention.
