Prime Minister Narendra Modi was greeted warmly at Jeddah airport on Tuesday afternoon as he started a two-day official tour to Saudi Arabia. It is his third trip to the Kingdom, following his first visits in 2016 and 2019, and has been invited by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.
In a fine display of deference, the Royal Saudi Air Force escorted the flight of PM Modi upon its entry into Saudi airspace, a testament to the magnitude of this State Visit.
The visit has been planned for April 22–23. This comes after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had made a personal visit to New Delhi in September 2023, during which he participated in the G20 Summit and co-chaired the first session of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC).
Prior to his departure, PM Modi made a statement highlighting the deep historical bond between Saudi Arabia and India that he said has further grown over the last few years.
"Together, we have established a bilateral and substantive relationship in areas of defence, trade, investment, energy and people to people relations. We have common interest and commitment to promote regional peace, prosperity, security and stability," PM Modi noted.
This visit marks his first to Jeddah, a city of historical importance, and will also witness the second meeting of the SPC. The Council, formed during PM Modi’s 2019 visit, plays a vital role in deepening bilateral cooperation across various sectors.
Later today (Indian time), PM Modi will address the Indian diaspora in Saudi Arabia—a move that comes in sync with his ongoing emphasis on the well-being and working of overseas Indians.
I am also eager to connect with the dynamic Indian community of Saudi Arabia that still continues to be the living bridge between our nations and playing a big role in bridging the cultural and human relations, PM Modi added in his message.
The Indian community in Saudi Arabia is robust with approximately 2.7 million. Their contribution to the growth of the Kingdom is well known, and current trends reflect a steady increase in their numbers. In fact, in the past year alone, almost 100,000 Indians arrived in Saudi Arabia for work.
India and Saudi Arabia’s strategic partnership has gained significant momentum, particularly since PM Modi’s 2016 visit to Riyadh, which catalyzed deeper cooperation in areas ranging from politics and economics to security and defence. During that visit, King Salman honoured PM Modi with the prestigious ‘King Abdulaziz Sash’, the country’s highest civilian award.
The SPC began in 2019 and is functional through two main pillars—the Political-Security-Socio-Cultural (PSSC) and the Economic and Investment track. The co-chairmanship of the PSSC is entrusted to India's External Affairs Minister and his counterpart from Saudi, whereas the latter is co-chaired by India's Commerce and Industry Minister and Saudi Energy Minister.
There are eight Joint Working Groups and some sub-committees under these pillars, which continuously engage in dialogues and meetings to facilitate cooperation.
The first SPC Summit was held in New Delhi in September 2023, co-chaired by PM Modi and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his State Visit to India.
Until 2024, there have been 11 top-level ministerial exchanges between the two countries. Specifically, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister and its Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources visited India in November 2024 and February 2025, respectively.
Riyadh is also home to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with whom India has a stable and healthy relationship. In September 2024, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar traveled to Riyadh to co-chair the inaugural India-GCC Ministerial Meeting.
On the trading front, India's fifth biggest trading partner is Saudi Arabia and India is Kingdom's second largest. India had imported commodities with a value of US $31.42 billion from Saudi Arabia during the period of the financial year 2023–24, while export to the country was US $11.56 billion.
Saudi Arabia was also a key provider of energy security to India in FY 2023–24, becoming India's third largest supplier of crude oil and LPG. The Kingdom supplied India with 33.35 million metric tons of crude oil—which accounted for 14.3% of its imports—while also meeting 18.2% of India's demand for LPG. Saudi Arabia is also India's second biggest supplier of DAP fertilizers.
The other significant area of bilateral relations is the promotion of religious tourism. Haj pilgrimage and Umrah annually are of special importance, and India's quota for Haj has been permanently settled at 175,025 pilgrims.
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