Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed on his two-day visit to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. The visit will provide an important opportunity to discuss key regional and global issues.

PM Modi is visiting Saudi Arabia at the invitation of the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman.

Advertisement

In his departing statement, PM Modi said, ”Today, I embark on a two-day State visit to the Kingdom of Saudi at the invitation of Crown Prince and Prime Minister, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman.”

He said India deeply values its long and historic ties with Saudi Arabia which have acquired strategic depth and momentum in recent years.

”Together, we have developed a mutually beneficial and substantive partnership in the domains of defence, trade, investment, energy, and people-to-people ties. We have shared interest and commitment to promote regional peace, prosperity, security and stability.”

Mr Modi said this is his third visit to Saudi Arabia over the past decade and his first one to the historic city of Jeddah.

”I look forward to participating in the 2nd Meeting of the Strategic Partnership Council and building upon the highly successful State visit of my brother, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman to India in 2023,” he stated.

Mr Modi said he was eager to connect with the vibrant Indian community in Saudi Arabia that continues to serve as the living bridge between our nations and makes an immense contribution to strengthening the cultural and human ties.

PM Modi is expected to visit a factory in the West Asian country where Indian workers are employed and interact with them.

During a special press briefing on Saturday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that the visit will provide an important opportunity to discuss key regional and global issues. These include the situation in West Asia, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and threats to maritime security due to Houthi attacks.