New Delhi: In a special gesture, the Royal Saudi Air Force dispatched F-15 fighter jets to escort Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aircraft as it entered Saudi Arabian airspace on Tuesday. PM Modi is on a two-day visit to the Kingdom. This is his first to the port city of Jeddah and the first by an Indian Prime Minister in four decades.
The visit comes at the invitation of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud. PM Modi, who previously received Saudi Arabia’s highest civilian honour in 2016, highlighted the deepening of bilateral ties in his departure statement, describing Saudi Arabia as “a maritime neighbour, a trusted friend, and a strategic ally”.
India-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council
During the visit, the two leaders are set to co-chair the second meeting of the India-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council, a key institutional mechanism established during PM Modi’s 2019 visit to Riyadh. The discussions are expected to result in agreements across various domains, including space, energy, healthcare, scientific research, culture, and advanced technology.
High on the agenda is the issue of the Hajj pilgrimage. PM Modi is expected to raise the matter of increasing the quota for Indian pilgrims, a topic of significant importance for the Indian Muslim community.
Free Trade Agreement on agenda
Ahead of his visit, PM Modi told Arab News that India and Saudi Arabia will “keep moving forward together for peace, progress and prosperity”. He praised the Saudi leadership for its pivotal role in nurturing the bilateral partnership and stressed the potential of a Free Trade Agreement between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to transform regional economic relations.
PM Modi also pointed to historical and civilisational links between the two countries, citing how their economic ties date back to ancient times when Indian and Arab traders relied on the monsoon winds. “These ties have not only withstood global challenges but have flourished,” he said.
On PM Modi’s itinerary is a visit a local factory in Jeddah on Wednesday that employs Indian workers, reinforcing the role of the Indian diaspora in the Kingdom’s economic development.
