Riyadh [Saudi Arabia], July 18 (ANI): Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Suhel Khan on Saturday recieved a grand farewell from the Indian community, who expressed gratitude for his dedicated service.

In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia stated that the ceremony was led by the All India Steering Committee and witnessed the participation of representatives of the Indian community organisations and groups.

'The Indian community in Saudi Arabia came together to bid a grand farewell to Ambassador Dr. Suhel Khan. Led by the All India Steering Committee, representatives of diverse Indian community organizations and groups felicitated the Ambassador and expressed their appreciation for his dedicated service,' the Embassy wrote in a post on X.

During the ceremony, the Ambassador thanked the community for their spirit and highlighted its efforts in promoting Indian culture and helping strengthen the India-Saudi Arabia ties.

'The Ambassador commended the community's spirit of volunteerism, its efforts to promote Indian culture, and its contribution to strengthening India-Saudi Arabia relations. He also appreciated the Indian business community for its important role in deepening economic ties with Saudi Arabia,' he stated.

He also assured that the Embassy 'would continue to serve the community with utmost commitment and dedication.'

The farewell comes as Ambassador Suhel Khan passes on the role to veteran diplomat Vipul, who was appointed as India's next ambassador to Saudi Arabia last month.

The 1998-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer is serving as New Delhi's envoy to Qatar, bringing extensive regional experience to his upcoming assignment.

Announcing the diplomatic transition, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had stated, 'He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.'

This assignment is widely regarded as a critical deployment in light of the Gulf country's expanding regional influence and the highly volatile geopolitical crisis in West Asia.

This vital appointment aligns with his distinguished diplomatic tenure, during which the incoming envoy has been posted to various Indian diplomatic missions worldwide, including critical assignments in Cairo, Colombo, Geneva, and Dubai.

Throughout these international postings, his extensive career in the foreign service has seen him manage diverse portfolios encompassing political and commercial relations, development cooperation, disarmament, international security, and media affairs.

In addition to his field experience, Vipul has contributed significantly to policymaking from within the capital, having completed a tenure as a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs between 2014 and 2017. He subsequently assumed the role of Consul General of India in Dubai from 2017 to 2020.

Building further on his regional specialisation, he brought his West Asian expertise back to headquarters upon his return from the United Arab Emirates, serving as Joint Secretary (Gulf) in the MEA from 2020 to 2023, before being deployed as India's Ambassador to Qatar, where he has been serving since August 2023. (ANI)