Indian PM Modi to visit Saudi Arabia from April 22-23

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Saudi Arabia next week at the invitation of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the kingdom.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the upcoming April 22-23 visit will be the first visit of the Prime Minister to the country in his third term.

Previously, he has travelled to the kingdom twice in 2016 and in 2019.

The visit will provide "an opportunity to further deepen and strengthen our multi-faceted partnership, as well as to exchange views on various regional and international issues of mutual interest", according to the MEA.

It also comes ahead of the expected visit of US President Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia next month.

Saudi Arabia is India's fifth largest trading partner and India is Saudi Arabia's second largest trade partner. During FY 2023-24, India's imports from Saudi Arabia reached $31.42 billion and exports to Saudi Arabia were worth $11.56 billion. In 2023-24, bilateral trade stood at $42.98 billion, with Indian exports at $11.56 billion and imports at $31.42 billion.

Indian community in Saudi Arabia is 2.7 million strong and is a living bridge between the two countries. Indian diaspora contribution to the economic development of Saudi Arabia is widely recognized. Number of Indians in Saudi Arabia is increasing steadily. Over the last year, an estimated 100,000 Indians came to Saudi Arabia for employment.