Saudi Arabia-India discuss air bubble travel, IIT campus
During a webinar discussing the impact of COVID-19 on Indo-Saudi bilateral economic relations, Indian Ambassador Dr Ausaf Sayeed said that Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in setting up an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus in Saudi Arabia, “and we are in talks with the pertinent authorities to allow an IIT campus which could be a win-win situation for both countries, and the likelihood is that IIT Delhi could set up its campus in Saudi Arabia.”
While answering a question about restarting of international flights between India and Saudi Arabia and the fate of the people stuck in India due to the pandemic, he said: “The country (Saudi Arabia) has been regularly reviewing the status of restarting international flights, and will announce the dates when they are ready. But on our part, we, in the meantime, are in talks with the Saudi authorities in trying to set up “Air Bubble arrangements” and hopefully we’ll succeed.
“We have already forged the “bubble flights” arrangements with Kuwait and UAE and are in talks with Saudi Arabia. The talks with Saudi Arabia could prove advantages on many folds… Also it could allow for the travel of business visa holders but most importantly it would enable the setting of physical meetings between officials between the G20 nations in a run up to the main event during October and November,” the envoy said.
