RIYADH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the "hard work and commitment" of the Indian community in Saudi Arabia have helped to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the two nations.
"Nearly 2.6 million Indians have made Saudi Arabia their second home, contributing to its growth and development.
Many Indians also visit the Kingdom every year for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage, and for business purposes," the prime minister said in an interview published in the Arab News newspaper on Tuesday.
In a message to the Indian diaspora, Modi said India is proud of the place that "you have made for yourself in the Kingdom, and your hard work and commitment have helped to generate a lot of goodwill for the overall bilateral relationship".
He expressed confidence that the Indian community in the Kingdom will continue to remain the binding force in the bilateral ties and will further contribute to the strengthening of the historic relationship between the two countries, which are based on people-to-people contacts over several decades.
The prime minister arrived in Riyadh on Monday night to attend the third edition of Saudi Arabia's high-profile annual financial conference and hold bilateral talks with the top leadership of the Gulf Kingdom.