Indian Ambassador Hamid Ali Rao

Indian Ambassador Hamid Ali Rao will hoist the national flag on Indian embassy premises in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter on Friday to mark the country’s 68th independence day with traditional gaiety and fervor.

“The ambassador of India will hoist the flag at 8:30 a.m. on the day,” said Indian Embassy spokesperson Surinder Bhagat on Sunday.

“Members of the Indian community living in the Kingdom and friends of India are cordially invited to attend the ceremony,” he added.

The flag-hoisting ceremony will be followed by the national anthem and patriotic songs sung by students of local international Indian schools.

Every year, students from the International Indian School of Riyadh (IISR) sing songs that strike sentimental chords amid an air of patriotic fervor and nationalism.

Cultural events are also organized across the Kingdom to mark the occasion.

There are 2.8 million Indian expats living in the Kingdom, making this the largest expatriate group in the country and also the largest concentration of Indian passport holders anywhere in the world.

 
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