Daijiworld Media Network - Jeddah

Jeddah, Apr 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm welcome at Jeddah airport on Tuesday as he began a two-day official visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. As a special gesture, the Royal Saudi Air Force escorted his aircraft upon entering the Kingdom’s airspace.

This is Modi’s third visit to Saudi Arabia after his previous trips in 2016 and 2019. It follows the Crown Prince’s visit to New Delhi in September 2023, where he co-chaired the inaugural meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) during the G20 Summit.

In his departure statement, PM Modi highlighted the growing strategic ties between the two nations across defence, trade, investment, energy, and people-to-people connections. He also emphasized the shared commitment to regional peace and stability.

Modi’s first visit to Jeddah will include the second meeting of the SPC, which was established in 2019. The Council operates through two main pillars—Political-Security-Socio-Cultural and Economic & Investment—with eight Joint Working Groups driving progress.

Later in the evening (IST), the PM will interact with members of the Indian community in Saudi Arabia, which is over 2.7 million strong. “They serve as a living bridge between our nations,” he said.

Saudi Arabia remains India’s fifth-largest trading partner and third-largest supplier of crude oil and LPG. In FY 2023-24, bilateral trade reached over $42 billion. The Kingdom is also a major source of fertilizers for India.

The visit comes amid heightened bilateral engagement, with 11 ministerial-level visits since the start of 2024, and is expected to further strengthen cooperation under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.