Saudi Arabian Crown Prince to hold talks with PM Modi on Monday, co-chair Strategic Partnership Council meeting

New Delhi: Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived here on a three-day state visit during which he will hold a bilateral meeting and co-chair the first leaders' meeting of the Strategic Partnership Council with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

During this visit, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia will also attend the G20 Summit being hosted in Delhi on Saturday and Sunday. He will continue his stay in India on Monday for the state visit, a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

On his arrival, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was received by Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at the airport.

The Saudi Crown Prince had earlier come to India on a state visit in February 2019 and this will be his second state visit. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers and senior officials.

This visit follows the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Saudi Arabia in October 2019 during which the two countries established the Strategic Partnership Council, a bilateral mechanism.

On September 11, the Crown Prince will call on President Droupadi Murmu.

He will also hold a bilateral meeting with Modi and the two leaders will co-chair the First Leaders' Meeting of the Strategic Partnership Council, the MEA said.

They will review the progress made under the two Ministerial Committees of the Strategic Partnership Council i.e. the Committee on Political, Security, Social and Cultural Cooperation and the Committee on Economy and Investments Cooperation.

They will discuss all aspects of bilateral relations, including political, security, defence, trade and economic, cultural and people-to-people ties. Both the leaders will also discuss the regional and international issues of mutual interest, the statement said.

India and Saudi Arabia have historically close and friendly relations with extensive people-to-people contacts. The trade between both countries reached an all-time high of USD 52.75 billion in 2022-23.

India is Saudi Arabia's second largest trading partner whereas Saudi Arabia is India's fourth largest trading partner.

Both countries also have a strong partnership in the area of energy.

There is a vibrant Indian community of around 2.4 million in Saudi Arabia. Their contribution towards the development of the host country and their role as bridges to deepen the multifaceted ties between the two countries is highly appreciated.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also facilitates Hajj pilgrimage of over 1,75,000 Indians every year.