Prime Minister Narendra Modi set out for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Modi visited Saudi Arabia from April 22 to 23 at the invitation of the Crown Prince and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman.
Since 2014, PM Modi has changed the trajectory of India’s relations with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries.
After an earlier visit in 2016 and 2019, this will be the third visit by PM Modi to the country.
All other prime ministers before him visited Saudi Arabia three times.
This also marks his 15th visit to a country in the Gulf region.
“Today, at the invitation of the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, His Highness Mohammed bin Salman, I made a two-day state-owned visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he said in a statement before departure.
“India deeply valued its long and historic ties with Saudi Arabia and has gained strategic depth and momentum in recent years. Together, we have established mutually beneficial and substantial partnerships, including in the areas of defense, trade, investment, energy and people’s connection with people. We share our interests and commitments to promote prosperity, prosperity, prosperity, security and stability,” he added.
Prime Minister Modi called Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s “brother” said he was looking forward to the second meeting of the Strategic Partnership Committee.
“This will be my third visit to Saudi Arabia in the past decade and the first in the historic city of Jeddah. I look forward to attending the second meeting of the Strategic Partnership Committee and building on the international visit of His Royal Highness, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, of my brother, in 2023,” said the Prime Minister.
“I also aspire to connect with Saudi Arabia’s vibrant Indian community, which continues to act as a bridge of life between our nations and has made a great contribution to strengthening cultural and human relations,” he said.
As part of the visit, PM Modi is expected to visit a factory for Indian workers. He will interact with them during his time there.
At a special press conference on Saturday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the visit would provide important opportunities for discussions on key regional and global issues. These include the situation in West Asia, the Israel-Palestine conflict and the threat to maritime security due to Houthi attacks.
