Ahmad Javed appointed Indian envoy to Saudi Arabia

New Delhi: Mumbai Police Commissioner Ahmad Javed has been appointed Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, which has a 2.8 million-strong Indian community.

The Ministry of External Affairs said Javed is expected to take up his assignment shortly.

The post of Ambassador in Indian Embassy in Riyadh is lying vacant since April.

Relations between India and Saudi Arabia witnessed some strain after a Saudi diplomat was charged with confinement and rape of two Nepalese women in September. The diplomat later left India.

From trading point of view, Saudi Arabia is a crucial country for India.

The import of crude oil by India forms a major component of bilateral trade with the Gulf nation which is India's largest supplier of crude oil.

The Indian community in Saudi Arabia is the largest expatriate community in the Kingdom.

IPS officer Julio Ribeiro, who was Mumbai Police Commissioner from 1982 to 1985, also served as Indian Ambassador to Romania.