Dr Syed Anwar Khursheed honoured with Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award 2025

Delhi: Dr Syed Anwar Khursheed,
a distinguished Indian physician who dedicated more than four decades of his career to serving in Saudi Arabia, has been honoured with the esteemed Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award. This prestigious recognition, the highest honour conferred by the President of India on overseas Indians, was presented to Dr Khursheed on Friday.
Hailing from Gulbarga
city in Karnataka, Dr. Khursheed is regarded as one of the longest-serving Indian physicians in Saudi Arabia. Throughout his distinguished career, he has made substantial contributions to healthcare, education, and community welfare.
Dr Khursheed spent 30
years at King Faisal Hospital in Taif and nearly a decade as a Royal Protocol
physician in Riyadh. His expertise and leadership were pivotal during the
COVID-19 response and in overseeing critical care operations. He has also been deeply
involved in providing medical assistance to Hajj pilgrims, ensuring their
health and safety during the annual pilgrimage.
Beyond his medical
achievements, Dr. Khursheed has been a cornerstone of the Indian expatriate
community in Saudi Arabia. He founded the International Indian School in Taif
and has played a vital role in guiding the establishment of other schools to
cater to the educational needs of Indian families in the region. Dr. Khursheed further
expressed excitement about meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and receiving
the award from the President, calling it a great honor. Dr. Khursheed is among
27 recipients of this year’s Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, and the only one based
in Saudi Arabia.
Dr Khursheed said, “Community services also include medical services. As I
was working in King Faisal Hospital, Taif, I had the privilege to help
people… Then I moved to National Guard Hospital, Riyadh. I am the Royal Protocol
physician there, which is a great privilege for me to work for the royal family
in Saudi Arabia.”
with the Consulate and the Embassy of India. I feel that when the community
members work hand in hand with the Embassy, great results come out. Today, I am
excited to meet PM Narendra Modi, and tomorrow, we’ll receive the award from the
President. It is a great honour…”
doctor, Suhel Ajaz Khan, India’s ambassador to the Kingdom, told Arab News, “Dr.
Syed Anwar Khursheed is a distinguished physician with 45 years of experience
in public health care and is one of the longest-serving physicians in the
government sector. Having spent three decades at the King Faisal Hospital, he
was a part of the Medical Protocol Department of the Royal Saudi Family for
eight years. He also oversaw critical care operations in the Hajj program at
Minah and Arafat.”
The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) is the highest honour conferred on overseas Indians. PBSA is conferred by the Hon’ble President of India as part of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention on Non-Resident Indians, Persons of Indian Origin or an organization/institution established and run by the Non-Resident Indians or Persons of Indian Origin in recognition of their outstanding achievements both in India and abroad.