Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a state visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, marking a significant milestone in bilateral relations between the two nations. During his four-day trip, which concluded on April 23, 2025, Prime Minister Modi held official talks with His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia.
The Indian leader was warmly received by Prince Mohammed at the Royal Palace in Jeddah, where a ceremonial welcome ceremony took place. The two leaders then co-chaired the second meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC), which aimed to strengthen cooperation in various sectors, including energy, defence, trade, investment, technology, culture, and people-to-people relations.
The discussions between Prime Minister Modi and Prince Mohammed were characterized by a strong condemnation of terrorism and a commitment to combating it jointly. The leaders also reviewed progress under the Council since their last meeting in September 2023 in New Delhi. They noted with appreciation the intensification of bilateral engagement and the large number of high-level visits across various Ministries that had built trust and mutual understanding on both sides.
The two leaders discussed cooperation in specific areas, including energy, defence, trade, investment, technology, culture, and people-to-people relations. Prime Minister Modi thanked Prince Mohammed for the support and welfare extended to the Indian community in Saudi Arabia and appreciated the support provided by the Saudi government for Indian Haj pilgrims.
Significant agreements were also reached during the visit, including collaborations on establishing two oil refineries in India, as well as progress achieved on taxation issues. The leaders proposed that both countries work towards connecting payment gateways and trade settlement in local currencies to further strengthen economic ties.
The discussions also covered regional and global issues of mutual interest, including the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC). The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the outcomes of the work of the two Ministerial Committees under the Council.
To deepen their defence partnership, Prime Minister Modi and Prince Mohammed agreed on the establishment of a Ministerial Committee on Defence Cooperation. They also agreed to establish a Ministerial Committee on Tourism and Culture Cooperation, acknowledging the growing momentum in cultural cooperation between the two sides in recent years.
The visit concluded with the signing of four bilateral MoUs and agreements in the fields of Space, Health, Sports (Anti-Doping), and postal cooperation. Prime Minister Modi extended an invitation to Prince Mohammed to visit India for the third meeting of the Strategic Partnership Council.