Official Name

The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia

Capital

Riyadh

Flag

The Flag is rectangular & green. At the center, written in white lettering is the Creed or Shahadah, "There is no God but Allah, Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah" Beneath it is an unsheathed sword lying parallel to the Shahadah.

Currency

Saudi Riyal

Population

27,601,038 (2007 estimate)

Main Languages

Arabic/English

Total GDP

$446 billion (2007 estimate

Real GDP Growth

6 %

Main Economic Sector

The traditional incomes of Saudi Arabia, agriculture and fishing, have lost much of their central position in the national economy, and employs slightly less than 10% of the work force. Today, Saudi rabia is a net importer of foodstuffs of all kinds. Much of this development have taken place in the last 20 years or so, with the growing profits from the oil industry.

Still oil is the principal source of income, as Saudi Arabia is the largest exporter of the world, with an export level about 4 times higher than number 2 in the world (Norway). The daily production is around 1,3 million tons daily. Saudi Arabia has also a strong production of natural gas, running at the level of 100 million m daily.

The pilgrimage to Mecca and Madina is still an important part of the Saudi economy, with 2-3 million visitors annually. The estimated income from this is exceeding US$2 billion.

Indo-Saudi Economic & Commercial Relations

The trade relations between India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) go back to several centuries. Both countries have always been each other's main trading partners. India is 4th largest trading partner of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The value of the two-way trade between the two countries in 2004-2005 has exceeded US $ 8.76 billion. This included import of crude oil worth US $ 6.13 billion. Saudi Arabia is the 15th largest market in the world for Indian exports and is destination of more than 1.76% of India's global exports. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia is the source of 5.5% of India's global imports.

For Saudi Arabia, India is the 4th largest market for its exports, accounting for 5.95% of its global exports. In terms of imports by Saudi Arabia, India ranks 9th and is source of around 2.96 % of Saudi Arabia's total imports.

Trade figures for the last nine years are as follows:

Indo-Saudi Trade (million US $)

Note: Imports figures for 2000-2001 and later do not include import of Petroleum Products

Source: Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India.

Major items exported by India are basmati/non-basmati rice, tea, manmade yarn, fabrics, made ups, cotton yarn, primary & semi-finished iron and steel, chemicals, plastic & linoleum products, machinery and instruments.

Major items imported by India apart from crude oil and petroleum products are organic chemicals, inorganic chemicals, artificial resin, plastic materials, sulphur, iron pyrites, pulp & waste paper, mineral ores & metal scrap, coal, coke & briquettes, iron & steel and non-ferrous metals.

Saudi Arabia is the largest supplier of crude oil to India. Both public and private sector companies buy around 23 Million Metric Tonnes of crude oil per annum from Saudi Aramco, which is about 26% of India's annual crude oil imports.

India and Saudi Arabia regularly hold high-level meetings on energy related issues. Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar met his Saudi counterpart Engineer Ali I. Al- Naimi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources at Vienna on September 16, 2004 on the sidelines of the OPEC Seminar. In November 2000, Shri Ram Naik, India's than Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas attended the 7th International Energy Forum and held discussions with Mr. Ali I. Al- Naimi in Riyadh. Mr. Ali I. Al-Naimi attended the COP-8 meeting, which was held on October 27, 2002 in New Delhi.

Bilateral Cooperation

India and Saudi Arabia are actively discussing Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (BIPPA) and Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA). These agreements are expected to strengthen the institutional arrangement required to promote and further enhance economic interaction between the two countries.

India and Saudi Arabia concluded a Bilateral Accession Agreement on Saudi Arabia's accession to the WTO on 16 June 2004 at Geneva. The Agreement included agreed tariff schedules on items of export interest for India in the Saudi Arabian market as well as Saudi Arabia's market access commitments in services sectors of interest to India.

India and Saudi Arabia are actively cooperating in the field of science and technology. The Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Saudi Arabian Standards Organisation (SASO) have an ongoing programme of technical cooperation (POC) since June 1993. Under this programme, Indian experts in different scientific areas, articularly in the field of measurement and calibration are deputed to Saudi Arabia on regular basis. Similarly, several Saudi experts have undergone advanced training in India. National Physical Laboratory has provided expertise and technology for two important SASO projects related to calibration and teleclock system. CSIR and the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) signed a Memorandum of Understanding for bilateral cooperation in 1997 and have an ongoing programme of cooperation, articularly in the field of space science, remote sensing and installation of internet.

India and Saudi Arabia cooperate in the field of training of agricultural experts. Indian experts were deputed to the Kingdom during 1993-98 to help Saudi scientists in the field of red palm weevil management. Saudi agricultural experts were also provided training in India in this field in 2001 at agricultural research facilities in New Delhi, Bangalore, Kasaragod and Kayamkulam.

Main Contact in New Delhi

H.E. Mr. Saleh Mohd. Al-Ghamdi
Ambassador
Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia
2, Paschimi Marg, Vasant Vihar
New Delhi 110 057

Main Contact in Mumbai

Mr. Abdul Kareem saeed Al-Jhni Consul General
Maker Tower, "F", 4th floor
Cuffe Parade, Mumbai 400 005

Indian Embassy

Consulate General of India
Building of M/s Bughshan & Bros Madinah Road,
Sharafiah Distt, PO Box No. 952, Jeddah-21421,Saudi Arabia
Telephone: 00-966-2-6520104, 6520112 / Fax: 00-966-2-6533964
Email: admin@cgijeddah.com
Web : www.cgijeddah.com

Chamber of Commerce

Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce & Industry
Riyadh
The Council of Saudi Arabian Chambers of Commerce is based in a new building in Riyadh. There are twenty local Chambers in Abha, Arar, Al-Hasa, Al-Majma, Baha, Dammam, Hail, Jiddah, Jizan, Jouf, the Holy City of Makkah, the Holy City of Madinah, Najran, Qasim, Riyadh, Tabouk, Taif and Yanbu.

Riyadh Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry
PO Box 16683, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 11474
Tel: (00 - 966) 1-405 3200 / 405 7502
Fax: (00 - 966) 1-402 4747

Visa Procedure

With at least 6 months validity and the appropriate visa

Unless you are a visitor from a GCC country or in transit, all other nationalities require a visa to enter the Kingdom. Visas can be for business, tourist, transit, residency, family, Hajj, or conference attendance.

Visas can be obtained from the visa department in the Saudi Embassy of the visitor's home country or from Saudi Consulates available in all main cities around the world.

The cost of a visa is generally 200 Saudi Riyals. However, visitors should check with the Saudi Embassy or Consulate.

Important Instructions

If a woman is arriving in the Kingdom alone, the sponsor or her husband must receive her at the airport. Every woman must have confirmed accommodation for the duration of her stay in the Kingdom. A woman is not allowed to drive a car and can therefore travel by car only if she is accompanied by her husband, a male relative, or a driver.

All visitors to the Kingdom must have a return ticket.

Pilgrims must also have all valid documentation and a passport that is valid for 6 months.

Main Tourist Attraction

Holy Place

1. Holy Kaaba in Makkah Al Mukarram
2. Prophet's (PBUM) Mosque in Al Madina Al Monawarah
3. Al Morabaa Place Riyadh
4. Al Dariyah, Riyadh
5. Al Masmak Place, Riyadh
6. Madaen Saleh in Al Madeenah Al Monawarah

 

Main Imports

Agriculture products/copper & articles thereof. Articles of iron & steel, Machinery & Mechanical appliances.

Main Exports

Crude, Petroleum products, organic & inorganic chemicals, plastic, Mineral fuels, mineral oil & products thereof.

Airports & Harbour

East Coast

1. King Abdul Aziz Port
2. Jubail Commercail Port,Jubail
3. Khobar Port
4. Rasul Fakhar Port
5. Jameyah Port
6. Rasal Khafji Port
7. Ras Tannourah Port

West Coast

1. Jeddah Islamic Port
2. JKing Fahd Port, Yanbu
3. Jizam Port
4. Dhaba Port
5. Farasan Port

Useful Websites

1. Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce & Industry, www.saudichambers.org.sa
2. Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority, www.sagia.org.sa
3. Saudi Arabian standard Organisation, www.saso.org.sa
4. Ministry of Planning, www.planning.gov.sa
5. Ministry of commerce & Industry, www.commerce.gov.sa
6. www.saudinf.com
7. www.visa.mofa.gov.sa

Photographs of Historical monuments & Tourist attraction