Seasoned diplomat Vipul was appointed on Tuesday (June 2, 2026) as India's next ambassador to Saudi Arabia, widely seen as a crucial posting given the Gulf nation's growing influence and the volatile geopolitical crisis in West Asia.
Mr. Vipul, a 1998-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, is currently serving as Indian ambassador to Qatar.
"He is expected to take up the assignment shortly," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
Mr. Vipul has served in Indian Missions in Cairo, Colombo, Geneva, and Dubai.
In his diplomatic career, he has dealt with diverse areas, including political and commercial relations, development, disarmament, international security and media.
Mr. Vipul also worked as a Joint Secretary at the Ministry between 2014 and 2017.
Subsequently, he was Consul General of India in Dubai between 2017-20.
He served as Joint Secretary (Gulf) in the MEA from 2020-2023.
He has been serving as India's Ambassador to Qatar since August 2023.
Mr. Vipul graduated in mechanical engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi in 1994. He also holds an MBA degree from Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.
Published - June 03, 2026 11:09 am IST
India / Saudi Arabia / diplomacy / West Asia / Qatar
Source: The Hindu - India News
