India and Saudi Arabia’s relationship has strengthened over the years. Both nations are threatened by terrorism. This paper explores the increased counter-terrorism relations between India and Saudi Arabia. Highlighting their importance in combating terrorism. In recent years, the two nations have strengthened their collaboration in counter-terrorism, sharing mutual concerns over the rise of terrorist and extremist groups. The paper explores India’s security relations with Saudi Arabia. Counter-terrorism cooperation between the nations has strengthened over the past five years. This paper explores agreements that have maintained their partnership, including joint military exercises, intelligence sharing, and cooperation in combating terror financing. It also analyzes the mutual benefits resulting from this cooperation, such as economic stability, strong diplomatic ties, and enhanced national security. It also discusses the impact of the Modi government on shaping strong relations between the countries. This paper also contributes to a deeper understanding of how bilateral relations have strengthened over the years.
Introduction
The two regional powers-India and Saudi Arabia -have built up their relations over the years through cultural exchanges and people-to-people contacts into more issues that cover energy, trade investment, migration, defence-security, and counter-terrorism. Cooperation on security matters between India and Saudi Arabia has grown over time as these countries look for new ways of developing ties, which are strengthening with each passing day. The developments were happening when Pakistan was said to be in a better position in Saudi Arabia’s geostrategic calculations. Moreover, these relations continued even during the Cold War. Again after 9the /11 events and the US Global War on Terror, the two nations became closer. They aided the US in its fight against terror and shared similar views on Al Qaeda and the increased threat of terrorism from their respective territories. These developments necessitated further collaboration between both countries. relationship was re-established between India and Saudi Arabia by the visit of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in 2006. This visit not only filled a gap of over fifty years without high-level political contact but also paved the way for the establishment of broad-based ties that match their national interests within a regional and global order. The two documents are the ‘Delhi Declaration’ (2006). And the ‘Riyadh Declaration’ (2010). (Quamar D. M., 2019)
Research Questions
- What historical elements have shaped the evolution of relations between Saudi Arabia and India?
- How have Saudi Arabia and India worked together on counterterrorism efforts?
- What kinds of dangers do India and Saudi Arabia face?
- How have the defence and security pacts between Saudi Arabia and India changed to counter new threats from terrorism?
Historical Background of India -Saudi Relations
The India Saudi Arabia relations were created in 1955 when the Saudi King came to India for a visit to Prime Minister Nehru to sustain a peaceful approach to the issues which divide the world. In 1955, an Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru met with Saudi Arabian King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz, reinvigorating their economic and socio-cultural ties that had been severed for over a century. More visits have started since Indian independence to establish diplomatic ties with Saudi-Arabia in 1956. He conveyed his message to a large crowd in Jeddah, which was the first time in Saudi-Arabia history, that any leader was allowed to do. Saudi Arabia’s history, any leader was allowed to do so.
The discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia in the 1930s and its rise as a major oil exporter in the post World War ll period were important measurements of India-Saudi relations. India came across Industrialization and financial development, which made it depend on Saudi Arabia for its oil needs.
Bilateral relations became stronger after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited Saudi Arabia in 1982. Another visit was made by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in 2010 to sign the ‘Riyadh Declaration’, which raised the level from bilateral engagement to a strategic partnership’. After that, the Crown Prince, his Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Abdul-Aziz-Al-Saud, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence from Saudi Arabia visited India in 2014 to deepen ties by changing links between defence cooperation. In October 2019, during the visit of Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to Saudi Arabia, the Saudi government affirmed that Saudi Arabia’s “expressed understanding of India’s move in Jammu and Kashmir,” a comment related to the abrogation of Article 370. During Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Saudi Arabia, visit in February 2019, Modi and bin Salman “condemned in the strongest terms, the terrorist attack on Indian security forces on February 2019 in Pulwama, Jammu & Kashmir,” demonstrating a more nuanced position from Riyadh and support for India. The “neutral” stand is an important shift in Saudi Arabia’s approach towards India, and towards Jammu and Kashmir. India-Saudi relations. Relations began acquiring some traction only after Manmohan Singh visited it in 2010 when the Riyadh Declaration marked a significant forward movement bringing relationships to strategic partnership. Both sides declared their determination to deny terrorists access to weapons, including fissile material; their readiness to take action against human trafficking networks.
This was followed by then-defence Minister AK Antony’s visit to Saudi Arabia in 2012, the first by an Indian defence minister to Saudi Arabia. The signing of a MOU on Defense cooperation in February 2014 was important in strengthening their defence partnership. The two sides also agreed to establish a Joint Committee on Defense Cooperation (JCDC) to identify and enhance defence cooperation between them. The committee has had four meetings so far— in 2012, 2016, 2017, and 2019 — with the two sides deciding to engage in capacity-building exercises, intelligence sharing, and maritime security.
The JCDC meetings have acted as a catalyst for enhancing maritime cooperation between the two countries. Besides being engaged in both training and building exercises. The Royal Saudi Naval Forces have reportedly increased engagements with both the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, with Indian ships having paid several goodwill visits to Saudi ports since the early 2000s.
During the visit of the Indian Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar in February 2020, the Embassy of India in Riyadh placed an announcement stating that those visits represented a desire to increase cooperation with Saudi Arabia in the area of defence to further increase maritime ties between India and Saudi Arabia, Admiral Sunil Lamba, leader of the naval team and chairman of the chiefs of workers, visited Saudi Arabia in February 2018, during which he met the Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Mohammad bin Abdullah Al-Aysesh along with the heads of the various military services. In addition to those conferences, Lamba also visited the Western Fleet at the Jeddah Naval Operations Centre, Naval Fire and Rescue School, and Naval Operations Centre, which additionally involved a go to HMS Dammam, an Al-Riyadh class frigate. Reports show that Saudi Arabia has an interest in strengthening maritime security cooperation with India inside the western Indian Ocean, which includes some of the busiest shipping lanes, consisting of those within the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, and the Persian Gulf.
Saudi armed forces have attended education packages at Indian Navy institutions, including the National Defense College, which is comprised of The College of Defence Management, The Defence Services and National Defence College. India and Saudi Arabia have additionally agreed to strengthen cooperation in the place of defence manufacturing, as indicated by the aid of the signing of an MoU between India’s Department of Defense Production and Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Military Industries and India’s Department of Defence Production. (Kumar, 2023)
Shift in India-Saudi Relations Post 9/11
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, marked a turning point in world security, creating a shift in India- Saudi Arabia relations. Both nations, facing the trouble of terrorism, began to reconsider their security strategies. This period saw a mutual effort to strengthen bilateral cooperation, mainly in counter-terrorism. The early 2000s witnessed high visits aiming at strengthening ties between the countries. King Abdullah signed the Delhi Declaration in 2006. The Declaration aimed to address the need for cooperation in combating terrorism by boosting security measures and sharing intelligence. The shift post-9/11 marked a change and varied relationship between India and Saudi Arabia. Both countries shared a mutual interest in security. In 2016, Prime Minister Modi became the only Indian leader to admit the mercenary honour of Saudi Arabia, King Abdul-Aziz Sash. India was named the 2018 Janadriyah Festival’s “guest of honour” at Saudi Arabia’s prestigious biannual “Public Heritage and Cultural Festival.” Crown Prince Salman’s February 19–20, 2019 visit to India further solidified the partnership. The trade between Prince Salman and Prime Minister Modi was characterized by a strong sense of optimism, as multiple agreements were signed between governments in key areas of collaboration, such as energy, defence, infrastructure, security, tourism, trade, and investment.
Growing Security and Defence Partnership
India and the West Asia have a history of good neighbourly relations. Since ancient times, there have been people-to-people exchanges and interactions between the Middle East and the Indians. This has resulted from strong social ties between the two regions, which are practically divided by the Middle East. This political alliance and friendship remained throughout the Indian national movement for independence, and the leaders of the Indian independence movement also strengthened their ties to the Middle Eastern national movement for a free Palestine. This support for Middle Easterners and their right to self-determination throughout all of West Asia, including Palestine, continued after the country’s independence, with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of India first maintaining close, cordial relations with the pioneers of the Middle East as a starting point. In 2015, it was the first time the Indian Air Force made its first visit to Saudi Arabia, which was conducted with the first bilateral naval exercise in 2018 and organized a joint naval exercise with Saudi Arabia. Subsequently, Narendra Modi made his visit to both Saudi Arabia and the UAE. In 2019, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval visited Riyadh and explained India’s stand on Kashmir issues for the abolition of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Doval’s visit to Saudi Arabia will not only intensify security engagement but also counter-terrorism in both regions. Both countries not only have security threats on land, sea, and air but also in cybersecurity. India and Saudi Arabia signed a MoU in February 2014 and conducted NSA-level security talks to strengthen the new area of cooperation Modi and King Salman both jointly condemned terrorism and agreed to exchange their intelligence to stop money laundering, which has been used to finance terrorist activity. (Quamar D. M., 2019)
Before Modi visited Riyadh, the US imposed sanctions to target Lashkar-e-Taiba, (a Pakistan-based terrorist organization responsible for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks) India and Saudi intelligence agencies were working together to collect data and exact information to track the movement of the suspect, including their financial activity. One of the improvements noticed with the signing of the “Extradition Treaty and Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Persons, Riyadh has handed over several doubts, including Syed Zabiuddin Ansari, alias Abu Jundal (involved in multiple terrorist activities, including the 26/11 attack in India). These deportations are a clear example of strong cooperation between two countries to fight terrorism and security issues, Saudi Arabia also decided to work together with India to buy and manufacture defence equipment under the Joint Committee on Defense Cooperation (JCDC). (Kumar, 2023)
Growth of Bilateral Relations
India’s relations with Saudi Arabia were set after India’s independence. The Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Saudi King Saud bin Abdul-Aziz al-Saud started visiting in 1955-56 and stated the significance of the bilateral relationship. Political and diplomatic contacts were maintained. The trade ties got a boost in 2006 when India invited King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud as the chief guest for Republic Day. During the visit, King stated the need for further strengthening of bilateral relations and also emphasized the deep historical connection between the two countries. Bilateral relations have been focused on energy imports, trade, and security cooperation. Prime Minister Modi’s approach to foreign policy concentrated on improving trade and investments from around the world to India, and this maintained his focus on the Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia. In 2016, the Prime Minister visited Saudi Arabia and was greeted by King Salman, who gave him the highest civilian award, the King Abdul-Aziz Sash. During the discussion, the two continued to work towards further strengthening bilateral relations in areas of mutual interest. Trade and energy imports emerged as priority areas. (Quamar D. M., 2019)
Combating Terrorism
Terrorism is a common concern for both nations hence they need to cooperate. The National security advisor, Mr Ajit Doval, and his special delegate on counter-terrorism Asif Ibrahim, have been active in defence cooperation with Saudi Arabia. Before the visit of Prime Minister Modi in 2014, Mr Doval visited Saudi Arabia and undertook discussions with the then Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud about outlining ways to strengthen defence ties. Issues related to counter-terrorism were discussed during Prime Minister Modi’s visit in 2014. India and Saudi Arabia focused on ways to enhance security and cooperation to prevent the spread of radicalism and counter-terrorism in both South Asia and the Gulf region. The MoU on Defense Cooperation, signed in 2014, was important for both sides and was termed “an important milestone in achieving the Strategic Partnership between the two countries.” The Prime Minister and King agreed to further enhance defence relations through the exchange of visits by experts and military personnel, the exchange of visits by ships and aircraft, joint military exercises, and the supply of arms. Moreover, the “two leaders agreed to boost cooperation to strengthen maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region and the Gulf, essential for the security of both countries and expressed strong condemnation. One important aspect of the growing security cooperation is the need to combat the spread of radical ideas. The rise of radical ideas and their ability to use the digital medium is alarming throughout the world. Terrorism has emerged in the 21st century, and both India and Saudi Arabia have been victims of it and faced terrorist threats. This has led both countries to strengthen their cooperation in counter-terrorism. India and Saudi Arabia have been enhancing bilateral security cooperation since the November 2008 terrorist attacks on Mumbai. Coastal security and intelligence sharing were areas that came to the fore, and this was strengthened by the visits of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2010 and the then Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud in 2014. The signing of the MoU on defence cooperation resulted in more engagement between the two militaries. Similarly, cooperation for the prevention of crime and terror financing through hawala transactions is part of security ties. Cybersecurity to prevent cybercrimes and terror has emerged as a priority for security cooperation. (RAJAGOPALAN R. P., 2021)
Cooperation in Maritime Security
Maritime is another area where the two countries need to cooperate. Saudi Arabia’s oil is exported to the eastern economy through the Indian Ocean. India provides security to the entire SLOC between the two straits, the Strait of Hormuz and the Strait of Malacca. Maritime security is another area where India and Saudi Arabia have strengthened cooperation over the past few years. Security in the Gulf and Indian Oceans is important to both, making them invest resources in ensuring security. An important portion of economic engagement is organised through maritime trade, and any disruption of the sea lanes of communication can cause trade and commercial losses. Therefore, maritime security has become a top priority. The issue was discussed in detail during the Prime Minister’s visit to Saudi Arabia in 2014. India’s Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lamba, visited Saudi Arabia in February 2018 to further strengthen maritime security between the Indian Navy and the Saudi Navy. To boost maritime security, the Indian and Saudi Coast Guards are also Building up bilateral relations. (ICGS) SAMARTH visited the Jubail Port in Saudi Arabia in November 2017. (PRASAD, 2023)
Military-to-Military Ties
Military-to-military ties too are part of bilateral ties. The third meeting of the Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation (JCDC) was held in November 2017 in New Delhi. The JCDC was attended by a 12-member, the Indian side was led by the Joint Secretary (PIC), Ministry of Defence and the Saudi side was led by the Chief of Operations. The meeting stated credible activities to boost military-to-military cooperation. In January 2018 a delegation-level visit from Saudi Armed Forces Command and Staff College took place as a follow-up. The JDC also approved the proposal for training officers from the Saudi Armed Forces at Indian defence training institutes. Accordingly, the Ministry of defence gave consent for giving vacancies to Saudi officers at the National Defense Academy (NDA), Pune. Proposals on joint exercises through delegation visits were discussed at an early stage to strengthen bilateral engagements.
Conclusion
India’s increased counter-terrorism relations with Saudi Arabia indicate an advancement in their bilateral relations. The cooperation is built on mutual areas of interest and efforts to counter-terrorism. Saudi Arabia recognizing India’s concerns about Pakistan terrorist groups has been a key factor. Saudi Arabia has taken various steps on Terror financing and has supported India. India’s increased engagement with Saudi Arabia to counter-terrorism is a move to counter Pakistan’s influence in the region. The cooperation between the two countries led to the sharing of intelligence, capacity-building programs, and joint military exercises. The relationship also shows a shift in India’s approach to the Middle East moving its focus from traditional alliance with Iraq and Iran. India indicates risk from neighbours especially Pakistan and also cross-border psychological warfare. Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, faced threats from both inside and outside dangers from organizations like AL Qaeda, and ISIS. To counter terrorism, both nations focused on joint operations and capacity building to counter these threats. In conclusion, the boost of India- Saudi Arabia counter-terrorism relations marks a significant change in their bilateral relations. z. (Hussian, 2014)
Title image courtesy: Daily Pioneer
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government of India and Defence Research and Studies
References
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PRASAD, N. R. (2023). India-Saudi security and defence cooperation continue to develop and grow. ARAB NEWS.
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