India, Saudi Arabia host joint symposium on Arabic archives in Riyadh
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The National Archives of India (NAI) and the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah) jointly organized a symposium in Riyadh on “Arabic Documents in Indian Archives”. The event highlighted the deep-rooted historical and cultural ties between India and the Arab world.
The symposium was held under a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding signed in September 2023. The MoU was established during the state visit of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to India.
Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, H.E. Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan and Darah’s Deputy Executive President, H.E. Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Khuraif, presided over the event. Deputy Directors of NAI, Mr. N. Raju Singh and Mr. K.C. Jena, also participated.
Ambassador Khan spoke about the importance of archival cooperation between the two institutions. He said Indian libraries and universities preserve many rare Arabic manuscripts and documents that reflect centuries-old connections between the two regions.
He also noted the growing cultural exchanges between India and Saudi Arabia. A new Ministerial Committee on Tourism and Cultural Cooperation was formed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Saudi Arabia in April 2025. It will function under the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council.
Dr. Al-Khuraif said the symposium was a joint effort to study and document Arab historical records preserved in India. He added that such work promotes a deeper understanding of social and cultural exchanges between the Arab world and the Indian subcontinent.
The event featured presentations by Indian and Saudi scholars. They discussed archival records of Arab origin found in Indian collections.
The symposium concluded with an interactive Q&A session.
