Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Saudi Arabia from April 22 to 23 at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This marks his first visit to the kingdom in his third term as Prime Minister. The visit aims to deepen bilateral cooperation following the Crown Prince’s 2023 visit to India for the G20 Summit and the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council meeting. India and Saudi Arabia share a longstanding relationship, and the visit will focus on enhancing collaboration across political, defence, economic, energy, and cultural sectors.
Bilateral trade between India and Saudi Arabia reached USD 42.98 billion in 2023-24, with major Indian exports including engineering goods, rice, and chemicals, and imports mainly comprising crude oil, LPG, and fertilizers. Saudi Arabia was India’s third-largest crude and LPG supplier during this period. Indian investments in Saudi Arabia have grown to around USD 3 billion, while Saudi investments in India total about USD 10 billion, spanning multiple industries. The visit also comes at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions in West Asia and amid global diplomatic efforts involving Iran and the United States.
Defence cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia has also strengthened, including naval exercises and ministerial visits. The Indian diaspora in Saudi Arabia numbers about 2.7 million and plays a key role in the kingdom’s economy. This visit is expected to further consolidate the strategic partnership between the two nations and facilitate dialogue on regional and global issues of shared concern.
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