Debate: India-Saudi Arabia Ties in The Aftermath of Pulwama Attack

The world has its eyes on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman as he landed in India on Tuesday, 19 February. The India visit comes right after the Saudi Prince visited Pakistan and pledged 20 billion dollars in investment.

The visit has become strategically and diplomatically significant in the backdrop of the Pulwama attack that left 40 CRPF jawans dead on 14 February, escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.

New Delhi is likely to raise the issue of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism during his two-day visit. The two countries will also look at enhancing defence ties, including a joint naval exercise, PTI cited officials and sources as saying.

‘Ties Between India-Saudi, India-Pak Different’

Distinguished Fellow at ORF Pinak Chakravarty said, there is no doubt that the terror attack will cast a shadow over the visit. “I won’t be surprised even if the Saudi Prince carries some kind of a message from Pakistan to the Indian prime minister,” he said.

However, the bilateral relations between India and Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are qualitatively different, he said.

“Pakistan is a recipient and a client of the Saudi government, which accepts its patron in many ways – politically and financially. In contrast, India and Saudi Arabia have a different relationship. India as a growing economy provides Saudi Arabia opportunities for investment. Saudi has its own interests in maintaining good relations with India.”

Pinak Chakravarty, Distinguished Fellow, ORF

“The engagement has now forayed into intelligence sharing and defence. So I don’t think that it’s relationship with India is hostage to its relationship with Pakistan,”Chakravarty said, reiterating his remark.

Associate Fellow at the Institute of Defence and Analyses Muddassir Quamar said, it is true that India and Saudi have de-hyphenated their relation from Pakistan.

“It is not because of this visit or the Pulama attack, this has happened in the past as well. So we have to understand India’s relations with Saudi stands independently of Pakistan. Pakistan is no longer a factor, it is a thing of the past.”

Muddassir Quamar, Associate Fellow at the Institute of Defence and Analyses