JOIN USSaudi prince in India, after promising moon to Pak
Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, aka MbS, arrived in New Delhi on a two-day visit, a day after he concluded his trip to Pakistan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi embraced the prince as he disembarked the royal aircraft at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
MbS had commenced his maiden tour to Asia with a visit to Pakistan on Sunday and Monday, where he is said to have signed investment agreements worth $20 billion.
He, however, returned to Riyadh after concluding his visit to Islamabad, instead of flying directly to New Delhi — a move which is intended to de-hyphenate his visits to the two nations.
His itinerary in Asia included Malaysia and Indonesia too. He was scheduled to visit the two South East Asian nations after concluding his tour to Pakistan and before commencing the one in India. Since Malaysia and Indonesia were dropped from his itinerary, speculation was rife if he would fly directly from Islamabad to New Delhi on late in the evening on Monday or early Tuesday.
New Delhi, however, subtly nudged Riyadh against starting his visit to India immediately after the one to Pakistan, as it would be tantamount to hyphenating Saudi Arabia's relations with the two South Asian neighbours.
Notwithstanding the global outrage against the young royal for the recent brutal killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, Prime Minister earlier had a meeting with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince at Buenos Aires on the sideline of the G-20 summit on November 30 last year.