NNA – Saudi Arabiarsquo;s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Monday began a state visit to India after attending the G-20 Summit in New Delhi over the weekend.
It marks bin Salmanrsquo;s second state visit to India following one in February 2019.
He is accompanied by a high-level delegation including ministers and senior officials, according to Indiarsquo;s Foreign Ministry.
Bin Salman, who is also Saudi Arabiarsquo;s prime minister, will meet Indian President Droupadi Murmu before holding bilateral talks with his counterpart Narendra Modi.
The two leaders will co-chair the First Leadersrsquo; Meeting of the Strategic Partnership Council, the ministry said.
It added that the two sides will discuss all aspects of bilateral relations including political, security, defense, trade and economic, cultural, and people-to-people ties.
India and Saudi Arabia have historically close and friendly relations with extensive people-to-people contacts. Trade between the two countries reached an all-time high of $52.75 billion in the 2022-23 fiscal year.
India is Saudi Arabiarsquo;s second largest trading partner while Saudi Arabia is Indiarsquo;s fourth largest trading partner. The two countries also have a strong partnership in the area of energy.
There is a vibrant Indian community of around 2.4 million people in Saudi Arabia.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also facilitates the Muslim Hajj pilgrimage for over 175,000 Indians every year. —-Anadolu Agency
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