India Strengthening a Strategic Relationship: Prime Minister Modi’s State Visit
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi confirmed the strong and long-lasting relationship between the two countries during a historic official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on April 22, 2025. In a joint statement issued by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the presidents of the two countries emphasized their strong desire to deepen their collaboration in a number of sectors, including global coordination, education, economic corridors, and regional peace and stability. Motivated by a shared goal for growth, prosperity, and global leadership, the visit represents yet another significant turning point in the vibrant strategic cooperation between New Delhi and Riyadh.
Educational Cooperation: Building Foundations for Innovation and Capacity
Education was one of the key pillars in the conversation between the two countries. Both nations recognized the mounting momentum of educational and scientific cooperation, emphasizing its strategic significance for innovation, capacity development, and sustainable growth.
The Saudi leadership was highly interested in inviting top Indian universities to set up campuses in the Kingdom. The action fits into Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 program, which aims to diversify the economy and create a knowledge-based society. The leaders talked about potential collaborations between Indian and Saudi universities, student and faculty exchange programs, and joint research opportunities in strategic fields like technology, medicine, engineering, and environmental sciences.
In addition, they decided to seek new avenues of cooperation in vocational training and skill acquisition with a view to better preparing the youth of both nations for the demands of the global economy. They discussed broadening scholarships, establishing collaborative research centers, and making easier recognition of academic credentials between the two nations.
Labor and Human Resource Development: Unlocking Opportunities
Another area of significant cooperation identified was labour and human resources. Both sides agreed to enhance their existing frameworks of cooperation in labour mobility and workforce development. They emphasized the need to identify new avenues for collaboration that could benefit workers from both countries.
India valued Saudi Arabia’s initiative to provide for the well-being of the Indian expatriate community, which constitutes a large share of the Kingdom’s workforce. In turn, Saudi Arabia recognized the indispensable contributions of Indian workers to the Kingdom’s economy. Both nations reaffirmed their resolve to establish mechanisms that safeguard workers’ rights, promote skill building, and establish new avenues of employment.
Economic Corridors: Increasing Regional Trade and Connectivity
Reiterating their determination towards the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), both countries emphasized the crucial role the initiative will play in promoting regional connectivity as well as economic integration. The corridor, which is proposed to connect India with Europe through the Middle East using new railways, ports, and shipping lanes, is set to be a game-changing initiative for international trade.
While discussing, leaders expressed happiness over an increasing number of shipping lines between Indian and Saudi ports, and eagerly anticipated operationalizing new infrastructure initiatives that would further enhance trade flows. They also touched upon the necessity to promote logistics hubs, special economic zones, and investment in key infrastructure to match the corridor’s larger vision.
In addition, both countries underlined the importance of sustainable approaches in corridor development, with specific emphasis on energy-efficient transport options, green port technologies, and digital infrastructure that facilitates smooth and secure trade flows.
Energy Cooperation: Promoting Sustainability and Innovation
The leaders examined the achievements under the October 2023 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Electrical Interconnections, Clean/Green Hydrogen, and Supply Chains. This cooperation is an integral part of larger initiatives towards regional integration and promoting global sustainability objectives.
Talks covered speeding up collaborative projects in clean energy technologies, specifically hydrogen energy, which has the potential to revolutionize the world’s energy map. Both nations reaffirmed the significance of secure, resilient, and sustainable supply chains for key resources like rare earth elements, renewable energy components, and clean fuel technologies.
They committed to promote more investments and collaborative ventures in the renewable energy industry, including exploring opportunities in solar and wind energy initiatives. Saudi Arabia appreciated India’s experience in renewable technologies, and India was interested in Saudi Arabia’s ambitious plans under the Saudi Green and Middle East Green Initiatives.
Global Coordination: Strengthening Multilateral Cooperation
Both India and Saudi Arabia stressed their mutual vision for greater cooperation in multilateral forums like the G20, IMF, and World Bank. They asserted their determination to work jointly towards formulating policies that would foster inclusive growth, financial stability, and sustainable development.
Of special importance was their common call to more forceful enforcement of the Common Framework for Debt Treatment Beyond the DSSI, reaffirmed at the 2020 G20 Riyadh Summit. Acknowledging the deepening debt vulnerabilities of several low-income and emerging economies, the two leaders called for concerted international action to respond to these challenges through far-reaching debt restructuring and relief initiatives.
The two parties also addressed reforms in the international financial institutions to more accurately address the needs of developing countries, underscorening the need for more equal and responsive global governance institutions.
Regional Stability and Security: A Shared Responsibility
The discussion was carried over into issues of regional stability, with the focus being on the Yemen crisis in particular. The two nations reaffirmed their backing for international and regional efforts that would seek a political solution to the conflict.
India valued Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian efforts, such as pushing for intra-Yemeni talks and facilitating the delivery of assistance to affected populations. Saudi Arabia also valued India’s humanitarian efforts towards the people of Yemen. The two leaders concurred that lasting peace in Yemen was vital not only to the nation but to overall stability in the Middle East.
In addition, both parties reaffirmed their advocacy for the security and protection of international sea lanes. They acknowledged the importance of maritime security in sustaining global maritime trade flows and committed to enhancing cooperation under the aegis of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Such measures considered were bilateral exercises, intelligence exchange, and capacity-building activities aimed at improving the security of the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and other seas.
Future Steps: Enhancing the Strategic Partnership
The future, the two countries said, was looking forward to continuing the positive vibes created by the Prime Minister’s visit. It was decided that the follow-up meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council would be held at a convenient time for both sides.
The Council, which has been formed to coordinate and spearhead the bilateral efforts, will address priority areas of political coordination, security cooperation, energy cooperation, technology transfer, economic growth, people-to-people contacts, and cultural exchange.
The two sides reiterated their commitment to sustained dialogue and proactive cooperation in all sectors and acknowledged that there is tremendous scope for intensified and expanded engagement.
Warm Conclusion: A Bond of Friendship and Mutual Respect
Prime Minister Narendra Modi ended his visit by thanking Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the people of Saudi Arabia wholeheartedly for their kind hospitality and warm welcome. The Crown Prince, reciprocating, wished the Prime Minister and the people of India continued progress, prosperity, and success.
The visit underscored the strength of the India-Saudi Arabia relationship — a bond forged through shared values, mutual respect, and a shared vision of a secure, prosperous, and sustainable world.
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