Flag-hoisting ceremonies took place at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Jeddah Consulate.
In Jeddah, a colorful ceremony was held in the premises of the Consulate General of India. Consul General B.S. Mubarak hoisted the national flag and read out the president’s address to the nation. Children from the International Indian School-Jeddah sang patriotic songs and entertained the audience. The Indian Embassy, located inside the Diplomatic Quarter, saw the dawn of an eventful day when Ambassador Hamid Ali Rao hoisted the tricolor at 8:30 a.m.
A large number of Indians working in different sectors attended the ceremony.
It was followed by the recital of the national anthem. The ambassador read out Indian President Pranab Mukherjee’s address to the nation.
“India demands creative thinking in governance that enables fast-track development and ensures social harmony,” said Rao, quoting from the president’s message. Rao extended greetings and best wishes to all Indian expatriates in the Kingdom and commended the members of the community for their constructive and proactive role in strengthening bilateral relationship.
Exuding hope that the Saudi-India bilateral relations will get stronger, Rao said: “The Kingdom is the part of India’s extended neighborhood and the complementarity of interests in energy security make the two countries natural partners.”
The vibrant ambiance at the Indian Embassy was represented by well-known personalities, administrators and teachers.
Patriotic songs were presented by students from the International Indian School-Riyadh.
The national flag also fluttered proudly in Jeddah, Dammam and other cities in the Kingdom.
Indian community organizations in Riyadh and other major cities across the Kingdom lined up many cultural programs to celebrate the special occasion. The 2.8-million-strong Indian community is the largest expatriate community in the Kingdom.
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