PM Modi to Visit Saudi Arabia from April 22-23 to Bolster Strategic Ties
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Saudi Arabia from April 22 to 23 at the invitation of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, marking his first visit to the Kingdom in his third term.
This will be PM Modi’s third trip to Saudi Arabia, following visits in 2016 and 2019. The visit comes in the backdrop of strengthened bilateral ties and follows the Crown Prince’s state visit to India during the G20 Summit in September 2023, where the first India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council meeting was co-chaired.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the visit will deepen strategic cooperation across areas such as defence, energy, trade, investment, health, education, technology, and culture. India-Saudi Arabia relations have grown steadily over the past decade, evolving into a robust partnership with growing investments and increased high-level engagements.
Saudi Arabia is India’s fifth-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching USD 42.98 billion in FY 2023-24. India’s exports stood at USD 11.56 billion, while imports, mainly crude oil and LPG, totaled USD 31.42 billion. Saudi Arabia was India’s third-largest source of crude oil and LPG during the same period.
Investment ties are also deepening, with Indian investment in Saudi Arabia nearing USD 3 billion and Saudi investment in India reaching about USD 10 billion across sectors like IT, pharmaceuticals, financial services, and construction.
Defence cooperation has seen significant progress, including ministerial visits and two editions of the joint naval exercise ‘Al Mohed Al Hindi’. Both sides continue to collaborate in defence industries and capacity building.
The Indian diaspora in Saudi Arabia, numbering around 2.7 million, continues to play a key role in bilateral relations. Over one lakh Indians migrated to the Kingdom for employment in the past year.
The visit also comes at a time of regional turbulence, with heightened tensions in West Asia and ongoing US-Iran nuclear negotiations. PM Modi’s engagement is seen as a reaffirmation of India’s commitment to strategic stability and economic collaboration with Saudi Arabia.
The visit is expected to further solidify the multifaceted India-Saudi Arabia partnership and explore new areas of cooperation amid shifting global dynamics.
