The wide-ranging political and strategic implications of his participation as the chief guest on the Republic Day ceremony in New Delhi has not been lost in South Asia and outside.

It is reported that the King proposed that India should be given an observer status to the Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and the proposal appears to be founded on pragmatic considerations of the present day realities of international relations.

It has been reported that the Saudi monarch also indicated that it was desirable that Pakistan should endorse India's observer status because it could play a significant role in achieving the objectives of OIC. One of the objectives of the OIC is to strengthen cooperation in economic, social, cultural and scientific fields among countries within the OIC.

His proposal was made in the light of the fact that Russia, Central African Republic, Republic of Ivory Coast, and Thailand are currently observers to the OIC.

There are several reasons for this proposal and some of them deserve mention below:

First, the observer status is ordinarily given to a country where there exists a substantial Muslim population. Whether the countries are Muslim-majority or not, it is argued their presence in the OIC as observers helps toward a greater understanding of Islam and the Muslims, thus helping to disprove the perception of Islam as a religion of "backwardness and terror."

Second, the Islamic world, regrettably, has an image problem, partly because of its structural weakness and partly because of its failure to curb Islamic militancy. With India as one of the observers of OIC, it maybe able to dent this negative image. Furthermore, OIC may build up its strength and relevance in international order, in particular, the Western world will take notice of its views to the current issues of the world because of India's presence. On the whole, India is perceived to act as a moderating influence on the activities of the OIC.

Third, it is believed the OIC needs the support of the vibrant democratic India that stands in the middle of South Asia, and at the centre of the Indian Ocean, that reaches out from the sands of Egypt to the Straits of Malacca, for its profile that will secure its role in international relations. Sir Olaf Carow, steward of the British Raj, once said: "It is impossible to see Gulf problems in correct perspective unless the view includes India."

Fourth, India is emerging as an industrial power. Markets in India are undergoing tremendous economic and social development. It is reported that Asia's share of exports has increased from 23 per cent to 38 per cent from 1985 to 2002. Within decades, India's role in international relations will be increasingly felt.

India has been an active player in the era of the information technology for decades. Its scientific progress including nuclear science by Indian scientists has been splendid and world class. It is the cutting-edge knowledge that provides India an edge in this scientific and technological world among Asian nations. Naturally Saudi Arabia sees India's role in OIC as constructive and beneficial.

Fifth, India is the fourth largest trading partner of Saudi Arabia. It is reported that Indian companies have set up 82 fully-owned companies in Saudi Arabia and there are around 49 Indo-Saudi ventures in India.

There is an "oil factor" for Saudi Arabia's overture to India as well. India is hungry for hydrocarbons (oil and gas) and Saudi Arabia seeks to get an access to a safe and huge market for export of oil to India. The Western countries including the US do not want to heavily depend on the volatile Middle East for oil and have been looking for other sources, such as Russia and littoral states for Caspian Sea oil.

Sixth, many political observers suspect that Saudi Arabia has tabled the proposal at the "wink" of the US. The Bush administration is reportedly not happy with Pakistan at its efforts to capture Osama Bin Laden and his number two man Al-Zawahiri who are believed to be hiding in Pakistan with the support of some sections of military personnel. Otherwise how could these two men elude their capture since the events of 9/11?

In the broader context of global strategy, the US has entered into a strategic partnership with India in economic and defence fields so as to make India a strong regional power as a counterweight to China's growing military and economic dominance in Asia Pacific. It makes sense that India also plays a role in the OIC as it does in the Non-Aligned Movement and in the Commonwealth.

Seventh, last year, India entered into a strategic partnership with the Gulf countries (GCC). In this context it is reasonable that Saudi Arabia wants to have stronger ties with India. There is an increasing possibility of defence cooperation between the two countries.

Eighth, science is weakest in the lands of Islam. The impact of this weakness is felt in the survival of a society that depends directly on science and technology in the present age. Nobel Laureate late Professor Abdus Salam once wrote: "The Gulf Arabs -- awash with money -- could have taken themselves a duty to spend that money to build science within the Islamic world." India in this context can inject rejuvenation and vitality between scientific thought and Islamic theory and practice.

What about the impact on Pakistan?

In 1969, it was Pakistan which succeeded in getting India out of the OIC when it was established in Rabat, Morocco. It was successful primarily because India was represented at the conference by an ambassador who happened to be a Sikh. Pakistan was believed to have fully exploited the presence of a Sikh leading India's delegation at the Rabat conference.

Pakistan has always considered itself the champion of the Islamic cause and it is the only Islamic country that has nuclear weapons. Pakistan must have thought that it has been successful to keep India at bay from the embrace of key Arab Muslim countries and OIC.

Pakistan must be surprised by the King's proposal. Furthermore, his visit to India and not to Pakistan has added a new dimension of Saudi Arabia's policy. It is reported that Saudi Arabia is keen to boost defence ties with India that will have an access to modern weaponry from the US.

The shift in Saudi Arabia's policy towards India is a bolt from the blue. It may rock the balance of power in South Asia. The King seems to be aware of this fact and to calm down the concerns of Pakistan, has said that its relations with India are not at the expense of its relations with Pakistan.

India is one of the largest Muslim populated countries (between 135-40 million Muslims) in the world. If other non-Muslim countries where there is much less Muslim population, such as Thailand and Russia are observers of the OIC, the King's proposal has the merit.

The Saudi proposal ushers in a new phase of relations between Saudi Arabia and India. Both countries are poised on the threshold of a new partnership. Whatever may be the reaction of Pakistan, it cannot avoid that India is a regional power. The emergence of India as the regional power with economic and military muscle has its own dynamics in international relations. Saudi Arabia has recognized the need to strengthen its relations with India.

Barrister Harun ur Rashid is a Former Bangladesh Ambassador to the UN, Geneva.