Saudi Arabia, UAE send Republic Day wishes to India, expat population holds events

Leaders from the Gulf countries of Saudi Arabia and the UAE sent well wishes to their Indian counterparts on the occasion of the South Asian nation’s Republic Day.

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz sent a cable of congratulation to Indian President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday.

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“The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques expressed his best felicitations and wished the President constant good health and happiness and the government and people of the Republic of India steady progress and prosperity,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The Kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also shared similar greetings with the Indian President.

The Indian Embassy in Riyadh held an event attended by 700 guests where patriotic songs and cultural performances by school students were featured, preceded by an unfurling of the flag and address by the Ambassador.

The iconic Kingdom Tower in Riyadh lit up in the colors of the Indian flag – saffron, white and green – to mark the 74th anniversary of the occasion.

The UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed also sent his message of congratulations on Thursday, the Emirates News Agency reported.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the UAE’s Vice President and ruler of Dubai sent similar messages to both the Indian President and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Landmarks including the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa and the ADNOC tower both lit up in the tricolor.

Various events took place across the emirates, from a flag unfurling at the Indian Embassy in Dubai to a reception held at the Palm Jumeirah by the Consulate General of India - Dubai welcoming numerous consul generals and the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Dr. Thani al-Zeyoudi.

Other Gulf states including Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman also held similar activities.

Newly elected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to Twitter to wish “dear friend Modi and the people of India” his well wishes on the occasion. “I am certain the already close bond between our countries will continue to grow stronger with every passing year,” he added.

This year, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi joined India’s President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the annual military parade celebrating the south-Asian nation’s Republic Day.

He is the first major world leader to visit India in a year the government is eagerly preparing to host the G20 summit for the first time.

The parade celebrates the anniversary of the day the country’s secular Constitution came into effect in 1950. India showcased its military and cultural diversity in the colorful event at the revamped colonial avenue, with a contingent of the Egyptian armed forces and an increased participation of women contingents.

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