Riyadh, Jul 11(Arab News): Saudi Arabia conferred the King Abdulaziz Medal of First Class on Indian Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad in Jeddah on Sunday July 10.
Ahmad, who played a key role in promoting ties between Riyadh and New Delhi on a “strategic level,” and who has had an intense interest in the countries of the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula, is the first Indian diplomat to be conferred such an honour by the Kingdom.
The medal was presented by Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal in recognition of Ahmad’s meritorious contribution to the promotion of Indo-Saudi relations in particular, and for his role in building bridges for peace, cultural ties and other public and private endeavors.
Ahmad said he was surprised, overjoyed and overwhelmed by the honor bestowed on him by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for his “modest role.”
The Indian envoy further said that “Indo-Saudi relations have been transformed into a strategic partnership with the signing of the Delhi Declaration during the landmark visit of King Abdullah to New Delhi in 2006, and the return visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last year.”
The ambassador, whose posting in Riyadh ends shortly, also thanked the Saudi leadership for taking care of about 2 million Indian workers in the country. Ahmad, who has served in several countries of the region including the UAE, Kuwait, Iraq and Yemen, said that this honor was “the result of a commitment at the highest level to pursue the realization of strategic partnership between Riyadh and New Delhi.
“Mine has been a modest role in this endeavor, in which a large number of people have contributed both from India and Saudi Arabia,” added the envoy.
The medal, he said, consisted of a decorative badge and a certificate signed by King Abdullah. Ahmad, a veteran diplomat, was first appointed ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia in January 2000, after which he became the Indian ambassador to Oman in July 2003. He joined the Indian Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas as Additional Secretary for International Cooperation in April 2005.
He writes and lectures regularly on the politics of West Asia and energy security. His papers on energy have appeared in several books and journals. He has also been credited with writing some books.