PM Modi to visit Saudi Arabia to strengthen ties

By Sudhi Ranjan Sen

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia from Tuesday, his first trip to the kingdom after six years amid a tumultuous period for the global economy.

Modi will be meeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, “to further deepen and strengthen” ties between the two nations, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement Saturday.

The visit comes at a time when sweeping tariffs by the US has forced countries to energize trade relations with with allies and neighbors for alternate markets.

Trade between the two nations was about $43 billion for the year 2023-24 with exports to the Gulf kingdom comprising mainly petrochemical and petroleum products, according to India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Modi is also visiting Saudi Arabia at a time when India is facing protests over changes to decades-old Waqf law governing Muslim-owned properties donated for religious and charitable purposes within the country.