India-Saudi Arabia: Deepening Strategic Partnership in Security

Brief Context

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.

Source Content

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