India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Saudi Arabia on 22–23 April, marking his first trip to the Kingdom during his third term. The visit, at Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s invitation, aims to deepen a strategic partnership spanning trade, defense, and regional stability.
Deepening Bilateral Relations
Modi’s visit to Saudi Arabia builds on a series of high-level exchanges. These include the Crown Prince’s participation in the G20 Summit in New Delhi last September. This summit also saw the first meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council.
The two countries share a long history of cooperation. This cooperation spans defense, trade, and cultural sectors. India and Saudi Arabia established diplomatic relations in 1947. In 2010, they elevated their relationship to a Strategic Partnership.
Economic and Trade Ties
The visit will focus on enhancing economic cooperation and trade relations. India is Saudi Arabia’s second-largest trade partner. In the fiscal year 2023-24, bilateral trade reached USD 42.98 billion. India’s exports to Saudi Arabia included engineering goods, rice, and petroleum products. Meanwhile, India imported crude oil, LPG, and fertilizers from Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is India’s third-largest source of crude oil and LPG. In 2023-24, India imported 33.35 MMT of crude oil from Saudi Arabia. This accounted for 14.3% of India’s total crude oil imports.
Defense ties between India and Saudi Arabia have strengthened in recent years, with both countries having conducted two editions of the bilateral naval exercise ‘Al Mohed Al Hindi.’ They also cooperate in defense industries and capacity building.
Modi’s visit comes amid regional turmoil as US-Iran nuclear discussions and the ongoing Hamas-Israeli conflict are intensifying the geopolitical landscape. Additionally, US President Donald Trump is expected to visit Saudi Arabia next month, highlighting Riyadh’s critical role in global diplomacy.
Modi’s visit to Saudi Arabia is expected to further deepen the strategic partnership between the two nations. It will also provide an opportunity to discuss various regional and international issues of mutual interest.
In conclusion, Modi’s visit to Saudi Arabia is a significant diplomatic mission with the aim to strengthen strategic ties amid a complex geopolitical landscape. The visit will focus on economic cooperation, defense ties, and cultural engagement.
