India and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement on the Strategic Partnership Council in 2019, which led to the establishment of a high-level council aimed at steering the India-Saudi Arabia bilateral relationship.
India and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement on the Strategic Partnership Council in 2019. The agreement led to the establishment of a high-level council to steer the India-Saudi Arabia relationship. It has contributed significantly to elevating the already robust relations between the two countries, as it opened opportunities for collaboration in several sectors, including defence, trade, energy, technology, and culture.
Speaking about the agreement on the Strategic Partnership Council, PM Modi had said that it “will begin a new era of cooperation across sectors. Our ties across various dimensions such as trade, investment, security and defence cooperation are robust and deep and will only strengthen further.”
India, Saudi Arabia bilateral partnership
The bilateral trade between India and Saudi Arabia has steadily grown in recent years, with India becoming the 2nd largest trade partner of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia ranks as the 5th largest trading partner of India.
Saudi Arabia remained one of the important energy partners of India, as it was the third-largest crude and petroleum products sourcing destination for FY 2023-24.
The defence partnership between both nations has also strengthened in recent years. Both countries have close cooperation in the domain of defence industries and capacity building.
Saudi Arabia provided logistical support to India, facilitating the evacuation of 3,500 Indian nationals from Sudan. It ensured the safe transit of evacuees through Jeddah. The Indian officials have acknowledged that the success of the operation heavily relied on the excellent cooperation provided by Saudi officials and government organisations.
India, Saudi Arabia sign Bilateral Haj Agreement
Notably, the people-to-people contact saw a boost with India and Saudi Arabia signing the Bilateral Haj Agreement, 2024, which saw the allocation of a total quota of 175,025 pilgrims. As per the agreement, 140,020 seats are reserved for the Haj Committee, which largely benefits the first-time pilgrims, while 35,005 seats are designated for Haj Group Operators.
From India’s context, Saudi Arabia becomes crucial, as it has a leading position in the Islamic world. Additionally, its growing influence in regional developments further elevates the significance of this diplomatic engagement.
The current visit of PM Modi to the kingdom provides an opportunity to strengthen the already robust relationship between the two nations.
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