India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have shared a rich, colourful history panning all the way back to 1947, the year of India's independence. However, bilateral ties between the two countries had existed for much longer, pre-dating colonial times, when trade between the two nations was of monumental importance, and Arabia held a monopoly over spice trade with India. Later, in India's post-independence era, the two nations put in conscious efforts to foster and maintain these relations of trade, security and cooperation which are quite evidently advantageous to both. Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is expected…