For Dr Khursheed, however, community has never meant merely responding when trouble arrives. It has meant creating institutions and networks capable of sustaining people over time. One of his most enduring contributions was the establishment of the International Indian School in Taif, where he served as Founder and Chairman of the management committee from its inception in October 1987 until March 2000. During that period, the school secured a licence from the Saudi Ministry of Education and accreditation from CBSE New Delhi, while earning recognition for academic standards and administration. His efforts also extended to guiding the formation of other Indian schools in Saudi Arabia.

Education, in his understanding, was inseparable from identity. For Indian families living thousands of kilometres from home, a school could be more than a place of instruction. It could preserve language, culture and belonging while preparing children for the society around them. Dr Khursheed’s own fluency in Arabic and familiarity with Saudi traditions gave him an unusual ability to inhabit that space between communities. His work consequently moved beyond representing Indians in Saudi Arabia to creating points of genuine interaction between Indians and Saudis.

That instinct eventually found a formal platform in the Saudi-Indian Healthcare Forum, where he serves as Vice President under the patronage of the Embassy of India in Riyadh. The forum seeks to promote cooperation and joint ventures between India and Saudi Arabia in healthcare, medicine, pharmaceuticals and allied sectors. Dr Khursheed has also used the platform to create awareness of AYUSH through webinars on Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Unani and the medical aspects of yoga, involving professionals from India. At the same time, he has worked to improve opportunities for Indian medical professionals in Saudi Arabia.

His community engagement stretches considerably further. He has served with the Indo-Saudi Medical Forum, the Indian pilgrims’ welfare forum, the India Forum Jeddah, the Urdu Academy Jeddah, the Annual Mushaira Committee and the Riyadh NRI Forum. He has also been associated with the Steering Committee in Riyadh, working with the Embassy of India on community welfare and cultural programmes, and has served as an adviser to the Karnataka NRI Forum. These roles reveal a consistent pattern: whenever a gap appeared between people, institutions or communities, Dr Khursheed seemed inclined to occupy it and make it narrower.