Riyadh, February 4: India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met with Saudi Arabia’s Security Advisor Musaid bin Mohammed Al-Aiban on Wednesday. The discussion focused on bilateral cooperation, mutual interests, and regional issues.
The Indian Embassy in Riyadh shared the meeting details on the social media platform X, stating, “NSA Ajit Doval held a meeting with Saudi State Minister, Cabinet member, and National Security Advisor Musaid bin Mohammed Al-Aiban. The discussions included bilateral cooperation and regional issues of mutual interest.”
NSA Doval arrived in Riyadh on an official visit on Tuesday. He was welcomed at the airport by India’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Suhail Ajaz Khan, and Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Political Affairs, Saud Al-Satti.
Talks regarding security cooperation between the two nations are ongoing. This meeting is considered significant, especially after the third meeting of the Security Working Group under the Strategic Partnership Council, which reviewed ongoing bilateral security cooperation.
Both countries shared their views on enhancing collaboration to address existing and new challenges in combating terrorism. The meeting addressed issues such as countering extremism and radicalization, combating the funding of terrorism, preventing the use of technology for terrorist purposes, and the nexus between transnational organized crime (TOC) and terrorism.
Following the meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs announced that Indian and Saudi officials discussed measures to deepen mutual legal and judicial cooperation and law enforcement collaboration. Both parties condemned all forms of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, referencing the horrific terrorist attack on innocent civilians in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, and the terrorist incident near the Red Fort in New Delhi on November 10, 2025.
The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary (Counter Terrorism) Vinod Bahade and the Director General of Legal Affairs and International Cooperation at the Saudi Ministry of Interior, Ahmed Al-Eisa.
Recently, a decade after the last meeting, a gathering of Indian and Arab foreign ministers was convened in New Delhi, marking the second IAFMM.
As global dynamics shift rapidly, India is increasingly turning towards Arab nations. Diversification has been a key policy for India, which aims to avoid dependence on any single country. While Saudi Arabia is strengthening ties with Pakistan, it is also intensifying defense cooperation with the UAE and India.
Notably, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan recently visited India for a brief four-hour trip on January 19, where he met with Prime Minister Modi.
India’s growing engagement with Arab countries under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership signals a commitment to strengthening diplomatic and strategic ties.
