India’s top security czar, NSA Ajit Doval, engaged in high-stakes discussions with Saudi National Security Advisor Musaid bin Mohammed Al-Aiban during his official Riyadh visit. Bilateral synergies and regional security took center stage in the Wednesday powwow.
The Embassy’s X update noted comprehensive talks on mutual cooperation alongside regional and international issues. Welcomed grandly upon Tuesday’s arrival by Ambassador Suhel Ajaz Khan and Saudi officials, Doval’s trip builds on prior mechanisms.
Fresh from the third Security Working Group meet under the Strategic Partnership Council, deliberations probed anti-terror strategies. From combating radical ideologies and funding streams to neutralizing tech abuses and crime-terror links, no stone was left unturned.
Both condemned terror unequivocally, spotlighting cross-border threats like the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam massacre and November 10, 2025, Delhi incident near Red Fort. Pathways to deepen legal-judicial and enforcement ties were charted, co-led by Vinod Bihade and Ahmad Al-Eisa.
India’s diplomatic diversification strategy is evident, countering Saudi-Pak bonds with robust India-UAE defense ties. UAE leader’s whirlwind January 19 India stopover for PM Modi talks exemplifies this. After a 10-year gap, New Delhi’s India-Arab FM meet signals renewed vigor.
PM Modi’s stewardship is crafting enduring Arab alliances, pivotal for India’s global standing in an era of geopolitical realignments.