Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a two-day official visit to Saudi Arabia from April 22 to 23 at the invitation of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. This will be PM Modi’s first visit to the Kingdom in his third term, marking a significant step in strengthening the deep-rooted bilateral relationship between the two nations.
The visit follows Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s State Visit to New Delhi in September 2023, where he co-chaired the first India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council meeting during the G20 Summit.
India and Saudi Arabia share a strong and evolving strategic partnership, encompassing political, defence, security, energy, trade, investment, health, education, and cultural cooperation. Bilateral trade reached nearly USD 43 billion in 2023–24, with Saudi Arabia being India’s third-largest supplier of crude oil and fifth-largest trading partner.
The visit also takes place amid rising tensions in West Asia, with ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict and diplomatic activity between the US and Iran. It reflects India’s intent to engage closely with key regional players.
PM Modi’s agenda includes discussions on regional and global issues of mutual interest, with a focus on expanding defence cooperation, boosting investments, and enhancing people-to-people ties. The Indian diaspora in Saudi Arabia—numbering around 2.7 million—remains a vital link between the two countries.
Defence collaboration has deepened, with successful naval exercises like Al Mohed Al Hindi and high-level ministerial visits, including India’s MoS (Defence) visit to Riyadh for the World Defence Show in 2024.
The visit is expected to lay the groundwork for more robust cooperation across all key sectors, reinforcing the strategic depth of the India-Saudi relationship.
