PM Modi to visit Saudi Arabia today – What’s on the agenda | India News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Jeddah today for a two-day official visit to Saudi Arabia, marking his first-ever visit to the Kingdom’s industrial capital. Invited by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, this journey will likely be PM Modi’s third to the Kingdom after earlier visits in 2016 and 2019. It comes as a part of the ongoing excessive-degree diplomatic engagements between the two nations, following the Crown Prince’s personal state visit to New Delhi for the G20 Summit in September 2023.
PM Modi and the Crown Prince are set to co-chair the second assembly of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council throughout the visit. According to Indian Ambassador Suhel Ajaz Khan, numerous Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) are anticipated to be signed, with key discussions centred on strengthening financial ties, bolstering defence cooperation and addressing regional political challenges.
Ambassador Khan highlighted that round 2.7 million Indians reside in Saudi Arabia, considerably contributing to the Kingdom’s improvement whereas sustaining shut cultural and familial ties with India.
On the defence entrance, the visit is predicted to present additional momentum to an already strong partnership. India and Saudi Arabia signed a bilateral defence cooperation MoU in 2014, and have since carried out joint naval and land workout routines.
Plans are underway for one more spherical of naval drills quickly, as per Khan.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri famous that regional and worldwide points equivalent to the scenario in West Asia, the Israel-Palestine battle, and maritime safety issues associated to Houthi assaults may also be mentioned.
Bilateral commerce between the two nations at the moment stands at round $43 billion, and PM Modi’s visit is seen as a key step in not solely boosting financial ties but in addition strengthening India’s engagement with the broader Gulf and Islamic world.