On Monday, Saudi Arabian Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House. Before the meeting, he received a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.
The Saudi Crown Prince arrived in Delhi for a three-day visit, extending his stay after the G20 Summit. Following his meeting with the Prime Minister, he will sign the minutes of the first meeting of the India-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council.
Later in the evening, the Saudi Arabian PM will also meet President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan around 6:30 pm and depart from New Delhi around 8:30 pm. This visit marks his second state visit to India, following his earlier trip in February 2019.
Salman had visited Delhi’s Palam airbase on Friday to participate in the 18th G20 Summit. On Saturday, India, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the European Union announced a historic agreement to launch a mega India-Middle East-Europe shipping and railway connectivity corridor. This ambitious project was announced by PM Modi during the G20 Summit, alongside US President Biden, Saudi Arabia Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, and leaders of the EU.
This initiative signifies a groundbreaking cooperation in connectivity and infrastructure involving India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, EU, France, Italy, Germany, and the US. PM Modi emphasized that this mega-deal will provide a sustainable direction to global connectivity and sustainability, congratulating all leaders involved.
Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia also expressed his anticipation for the integration of the initiative and the Economic Corridor project, acknowledging the collaborative efforts that led to this significant milestone.
Furthermore, Saudi Arabia hosted a three-day event, “Media Oasis,” in conjunction with the G20 Leader’s Summit. This event offered an immersive experience of Saudi Arabia’s leading projects in tourism, entertainment, technology, culture, and sports, all aligned with the overarching theme of ‘Vision 2030’. This initiative is geared towards the economic, social, and cultural diversification of Saudi Arabia.
Organized by the Saudi Ministry of Media, the event showcased various initiatives from entities such as the Saudi Ministry of Culture, Invest Saudi, Saudi Ministry of Sports, Saudi Ministry of Energy, Red Sea Global, SDAIA, FII Institute, Royal Institute of Traditional Arts Konoz, and CGC.
India and Saudi Arabia share warm and longstanding relations, underpinned by centuries-old economic and socio-cultural ties. The establishment of diplomatic relations in 1947 paved the way for high-level visits from both sides. Saudi Arabia stands as India’s fourth-largest trading partner, supplying over 18 percent of India’s crude oil imports.
