Saudi Aramco participates at the 81st Saudi National Day in India

The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia hosted a grand function to celebrate the 81st Saudi Arabia National Day on September 23, 2011 at the Kamal Mahal Banquet Hall, Hotel Maurya in New Delhi. The function was attended by over a thousand guests who read like the who’s who of Delhi including important political personalities, senior bureaucrats, journalists, business persons, industrialists, academicians and social thinkers. 

The AOC-India office ensured a significant corporate presence at this grand function—a Saudi Aramco booth was erected with a beautiful image of an oil rig serving as the background. On both sides, there were display stands narrating the success story of Saudi Aramco for the benefit of the Indian as well as international visitors.

The booth displayed a large number of Saudi Aramco literature and the most prestigious title “A land transformed” was distributed among the various company presidents and top notch business and government officials present at this function.

Earlier Waleed Jehani, AOC-India Chief Representative who had planned and supervised Saudi Aramco’s presence at this event, had sent out official invitations to the top Indian corporate houses which are, and could be, prospective business partners in India.

A grand attraction was the traditional Saudi tent which was specially put up on the occasion as a display of the traditional Saudi lifestyle. Also of great fascination were the juicy Saudi dates, the Arabic coffee and the Saudi food platter which was served to every guest.

The chief guest for the evening was His Excellency, Mr E Ahamed, the Indian State Minister for External Affairs who took a keen interest in the Saudi Aramco display and spoke to Jehani about Aramco’s presence in India.

The AOC-India office also extended its support to the event by providing photographs on Saudi Arabia, which were printed in the brochure that was published by the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Delhi.

Following the Saudi National Day event, the AOC-India office received many messages of appreciation and positive feedback from Indian companies for its attempt to bring Saudi-India business closer and inspire greater mutual understanding.

With India being a major economic force in the world, with its very wide array of manufacturing skill and services, the country is presently perceived as an engine that can power global economic growth. It is essential that Saudi Arabia bank upon its time tested relation with this country—as Ambassador Saqr Suliman Al Qurashi summarised very aptly: “The roads are paved, and the sky is the limit,” for Saudi-India relations.