India-Saudi Arabia: Deepening Strategic Partnership in Security 

Syllabus: GS2/ International Relations

Context

• The 3rd India–Saudi Arabia Security Working Group meeting was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Key Highlights of the India–Saudi Security Dialogue

• Focus Areas:
  • Counter-terrorism cooperation, including emerging threats.
  • Countering extremism and radicalisation.
  • Combating terror financing.
  • Preventing misuse of technology for terrorist purposes.
  • Addressing the nexus between transnational organised crime and terrorism.
• Institutional Framework: The dialogue operates under the India–Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC), providing continuity and predictability to cooperation.

India Saudi Arabia Relations

• Political Relations: The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1947. 
  • The royal visit of 2006 resulted in the signing of the Delhi Declaration, which was followed in 2010 by the Riyadh Declaration that elevated bilateral ties to a strategic partnership.
  • The Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) Agreement was signed during the 2019 visit of the Indian PM to Riyadh, which established a high-level council to steer the Indo-Saudi relationship. 
• Economic Relations: India is Saudi Arabia’s second-largest trade partner; Saudi Arabia is India’s fourth-largest trade partner.
  • The bilateral trade between the partners stood at $43.3 billion in 2023-24. Saudi’s direct investments in India amounted to $3.15 billion (as of March 2022).
• Energy Cooperation: Saudi Arabia was India’s third largest crude and petroleum products source for FY23. 
  • India imported 39.5 million metric tonnes (MMT) of crude from the country in FY23, amounting to 16.7% of India’s total crude imports.
  • India’s LPG imports from Saudi Arabia stood at 7.85 MMT, and 11.2% of its total petroleum product imports, in FY 23.
• Defence Cooperation:  Saudi Arabia signed a $250 mn contract for ammunition from Munitions India Limited, a Defence Public Sector Undertaking.
  • Saudi Arabia has procured the 155mm Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) from Bharat Forge.
  • Joint exercises:
    • Sada Tanseeq: The inaugural Army exercise held in Rajasthan in January 2024.
    • Tarang Shakti: Saudi Arabia participated as an observer in India’s largest air exercise.
    • Al Mohed Al Hindi: Bilateral naval exercise initiated in 2022.
• Indian diaspora: As of 2025, there were 2.7 million Indians in Saudi Arabia. This is the second largest number of foreign workers in the country, after Bangladesh. 

Way Ahead

• Balanced Regional Engagement: Sustain India’s strategic autonomy by engaging Saudi Arabia alongside other Gulf partners, contributing to regional stability without entanglement in regional rivalries.
• Legal and Judicial Cooperation: Improve mechanisms for extradition, mutual legal assistance, and information sharing to counter terrorism financing and organised crime networks.
• Strengthen the Security Working Group under the Strategic Partnership Council to address emerging threats such as cyber-terrorism, lone-wolf attacks, and technology-enabled radicalisation.

Source: TH