Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, will be in India on a state visit during which he will take part in the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi.
The crown prince, whose initials are MBS, last travelled to India in 2019 on a state visit.
“He will be accompanied by a high level delegation, including Ministers and senior officials. This visit follows the highly successful visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, to Saudi Arabia in October 2019 during which the two countries established the Strategic Partnership Council,” according to a press release by the Ministry of External Affairs.
MBS will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a separate meeting from his anticipated visit with the Indian President.
“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 press release goes on to say.
In 2022–2023, bilateral trade totaled $52.75 billion. Energy sales account for a sizable portion of Saudi Arabia’s commerce with India, its second-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 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 175,000 Indians every year,” according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
