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RIYADH: India's Defense Minister A.K. Antony has postponed a planned visit to Saudi Arabia and Qatar that was supposed to start Friday due to an undisclosed illness, Saudi Ambassador to India Faisal H. Trad said in a telephone interview with Arab News Saturday.
The visit will be re-scheduled at a mutually agreeable time later this year to explore expanding military relations as they pertain to combating terrorism and piracy.
Trad spoke about trade and labor relations between India and Saudi Arabia, pointing out that approximately 775,000 Saudi visas were issued to Indians in 2010 through the Kingdom's New Delhi embassy and Mumbai consulate. Most of these visas were for laborers or pilgrims. The Saudi consulate in Mumbai issues around 4,000 entry visas a day while the embassy in New Delhi grants around 800 different types of visas a day.
A small number of these were were multiple-entry visas for Indian business executives.
"We have already issued some 1,500 such visas so far," said the ambassador.
The Saudi diplomatic missions, he said, were showing similar patterns in terms of the issuance of visas to Indians over the first four months of 2011. The number of Indian workers in Saudi Arabia is expected to exceed two million by year's end, he added, despite tighter screening of job seekers and visitors to the Kingdom.
Indians wishing to work in the Kingdom are required to produce criminal background check.
"Saudi missions in India introduced this measure last year, and the missions will continue to request so-called Police Clearance Certificates when considering visa applications," said the ambassador.
On commercial front, Trad pointed out that the two countries are working to hold a joint economic commission meeting within the next few months. This ministerial-level meeting will be held in New Delhi. He also pointed out that Saudi Arabia supplies about 30 percent of India’s crude oil demand.
"Securing a steady supply (of oil) is in the interest of both countries," he added.
The visit will be re-scheduled at a mutually agreeable time later this year to explore expanding military relations as they pertain to combating terrorism and piracy.
Trad spoke about trade and labor relations between India and Saudi Arabia, pointing out that approximately 775,000 Saudi visas were issued to Indians in 2010 through the Kingdom's New Delhi embassy and Mumbai consulate. Most of these visas were for laborers or pilgrims. The Saudi consulate in Mumbai issues around 4,000 entry visas a day while the embassy in New Delhi grants around 800 different types of visas a day.
A small number of these were were multiple-entry visas for Indian business executives.
"We have already issued some 1,500 such visas so far," said the ambassador.
The Saudi diplomatic missions, he said, were showing similar patterns in terms of the issuance of visas to Indians over the first four months of 2011. The number of Indian workers in Saudi Arabia is expected to exceed two million by year's end, he added, despite tighter screening of job seekers and visitors to the Kingdom.
Indians wishing to work in the Kingdom are required to produce criminal background check.
"Saudi missions in India introduced this measure last year, and the missions will continue to request so-called Police Clearance Certificates when considering visa applications," said the ambassador.
On commercial front, Trad pointed out that the two countries are working to hold a joint economic commission meeting within the next few months. This ministerial-level meeting will be held in New Delhi. He also pointed out that Saudi Arabia supplies about 30 percent of India’s crude oil demand.
"Securing a steady supply (of oil) is in the interest of both countries," he added.
