ABSTRACT
On 24 January 2006, India and Saudi Arabia rewrote the history of their bilateral engagement and revived their centuries-old dormant association. Fifty years after King Ibn Saud paid the first official visit to India in 1955, King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz paid a four-day official visit during 24-27 January 2006 to India and graced the occasion of Republic Day as the Guest of Honour. Inviting as a Chief Guest on the occasion of Republic Day by India to any country’s head, in fact, is an attempt to engage that country by showcasing two facets of India: one, to provide a glimpse to the chief guest of the vast opportunities that exist in India and second, to demonstrate its military capabilities and strategic attractiveness as a partner (Hussain 2009). Broadly, it is a display of soft and hard power of India to the world, in general, and the Chief Guest, in particular. Since King Abdullah’s visit, ‘Riyadh and Delhi are quietly drawing closer, acknowledging their many shared concerns’ (Baru 2012), putting aside the political, strategic and religious strains that earlier existed between them. Throughout the Cold War, although the two countries were in opposite camps, they had sound trade and commercial relations. Saudi Arabia maintained a steady flow of oil supply to India despite Pakistan’s pressure on Riyadh to curb it. The increasing flow of Indian workers to the kingdom and the increasing number of Indians going for Hajj pilgrimage in successive years further underscored the inherent attractions between the two countries to keep their relationship aglow. The end of the Cold War and the new era of ‘multi-alliances’, which initiated a new mode of diplomacy (spectrum diplomacy), provided the desired opportunity and momentum to rejuvenate, expand and deepen the existing relationship.
