RIYADH: The 74th Independence Day of India was celebrated at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh on Saturday. Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed hoisted the national flag followed by a rendition of the national anthem. The ambassador conveyed his greetings to the Indian community in the Kingdom and also read out excerpts from the address of the country’s president, highlighting various achievements and policy initiatives taken by the Indian government.   Due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, a restricted gathering of select Indian community members and embassy officials attended the event. The event was also streamed live through the embassy’s Facebook page. Later, the envoy addressed a larger group of the Indian community and media persons based in the Kingdom through videoconference, highlighting various initiatives of the Indian government, developments in Saudi-India bilateral relations and steps taken by the diplomatic mission during the pandemic, including the repatriation of Indian nationals and other welfare measures.