India’s relations with Saudi Arabia since 2006 is an example of a dynamic that has enmeshed diversified strategic orientations successfully. While strengthening historical sinews New Delhi’s ties with Riyadh over the years have been unaffected by India’s strident forays into new partnerships in West Asia.

Simultaneously, the relation has also evolved over time into a diversified portfolio that subsumes a far wider range of issues than energy and diaspora issues alone. Home to a 2.7 million strong Indian diaspora, as India’s fourth largest trading partne, and consistent as one among its three largest suppliers of oil, Saudi Arabia’s relevance to the Indian economy is indisputable.

This is, however, an old tale. What Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit, it was hoped, would consolidate was a more recent role as a strategic partner. Much in the visit touched upon that hope. In addition to the creation of a Strategic Partnership Council, Memorandums to facilitate cooperation between the two sides were signed on a diverse range of concerns such as-