JEDDAH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah on Tuesday evening.
An official reception ceremony was held for Modi and the two leaders held an official session of talks, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Prince Mohammed and Modi also chaired the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council.
India’s prime minister landed in Jeddah earlier on Tuesday for an official visit to the Kingdom. His plane was escorted by Saudi Royal fighter as it entered Saudi airspace, Indian newspapers reported.
“India deeply values its long and historic ties with Saudi Arabia that have acquired strategic depth and momentum in recent years,” said Modi in a statement released by his office.
“Together, we have developed a mutually beneficial and substantive partnership.”
Modi left Jeddah on Tuesday evening, and was seen off at King Abdulaziz International Airport by Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz, deputy governor of Makkah Region, and Minister of Commerce Majid Al-Qasabi.
This is Modi’s third trip to Saudi Arabia overall following visits in 2016 and 2019.
The prime minister was invited by the crown prince and he is scheduled to meet members of the Indian community, according to his office. The visit is expected to see several memorandums of understanding being signed.
The crown prince also expressed his condolences and sympathies to Modi over a deadly shooting attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir.
The attack left at least 24 dead and targeted tourists in Kahsmir’s Pahalgam, which lies 90 kilometres by road from the key city of Srinagar.
Prince Mohammed “conveyed his condolences and sympathies and offered any help in this regard to us,” India’s Ambassador to the Kingdom Suhel Ajaz Khan said.
