Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia beginning April 22, at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, aiming to deepen cooperation in key sectors such as defence, energy and trade in what will be his first trip to the Kingdom in his third term.
During the visit, the two leaders will co-chair the second meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council. The first meeting was held in New Delhi during the Crown Prince’s state visit in September 2023 for the G20 Summit.
“This visit offers an opportunity to elevate the India-Saudi relationship to a new level, especially in energy cooperation, where we are aiming to add a strategic dimension,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said.
Saudi Arabia, India’s fifth-largest trading partner and home to 2.7 million of its nationals, plays a pivotal role in the global energy landscape. Misri also highlighted Riyadh’s growing influence in regional and world affairs.
“This is a very important opportunity to compare notes on several issues of mutual concern in the related to the regional situation as well as the global developments and what you have referred to the attacks by the Houthis with regard to shipping and navigation, etc, is obviously something that India has been closely monitoring as well and also watching with some concern,” Misri said.
Misri also said that the evolving situation in West Asia, particularly the Israel-Palestine conflict, would feature prominently in the bilateral discussions.
“On the situation in West Asia and the current state of affairs between Israel and Palestine, we’ve seen developments that are certainly of concern. Saudi Arabia plays a very important role in addressing this issue,” he noted.
Several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed during the visit, spanning sectors such as energy, infrastructure, investment, and technology.
In 2023–24, bilateral trade between India and Saudi Arabia reached $42.98 billion, with Indian exports totalling $11.56 billion and imports amounting to $31.42 billion. During the same period, Saudi Arabia emerged as India’s third-largest supplier of crude oil and LPG, delivering 33.35 million metric tonnes of crude and accounting for 18.2% of India's LPG imports.
“This visit is guided by strong personal chemistry and mutual respect between Prime Minister Modi and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,” Misri said