Centre Appoints Non-Muslim Envoy To Saudi Arabia For First Time Since 1948
New Delhi: Breaking the decades-old tradition, the Union Government has appointed a non-Muslim envoy to Saudi Arabia for the first time since 1948. Since the country got Independence, India stood with the tradition of appointing Muslim envoys to Riyadh.
India maintained the tradition due to the crucial role of Indian envoys in the kingdom to coordinate the annual Haj pilgrimage, which witnesses thousands of Indian Muslims travelling to the Makkha and Madina, two of the holiest sites in Islam.
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In a notification, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that the veteran diplomate Vipul, who is currently serving as the Indian ambassador to Qatar, has been appointed as India’s next ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
The 1998-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer is expected to take up the assignment shortly, according to the foreign ministry. Vipul replaces currently ambassador Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan.
Reacting to his appointment, the senior Indian diplomate said that he is deeply honoured for the opportunity given by Government of India to serve India in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. “Look forward to contributing to making our bilateral relations even stronger, following my colleague and friend Amb Suhel Ajaz Khan,” Vipul wrote on X.
I am deeply honoured for the opportunity given by Government of India to serve our great nation in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Look forward to contributing to making our bilateral relations even stronger, following my colleague and friend Amb Suhel Ajaz Khan. https://t.co/gw2kM6xKfT
— vipul (@vipulifs) June 2, 2026
