New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a grand ceremonial welcome upon landing in Jeddah on Tuesday for a historic two-day State visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the port city in four decades. PM Modi was greeted with a 21-gun salute — a symbol of high honour and respect.
The visit comes at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud. As a special mark of respect, Modi’s aircraft was escorted by F-15 fighter jets of the Royal Saudi Air Force as it entered Saudi airspace.
A special musical performance
Adding to the warm reception, a Saudi singer performed the patriotic Indian song “Ae Watan” from the Bollywood film Raazi. A video of the moment shows PM Modi visibly moved, clapping along and smiling in appreciation.
PM Modi and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will co-chair the second Leaders’ Meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council, which was established during the Prime Minister’s visit to Riyadh in 2019. The meeting is expected to yield key agreements across a range of sectors, including space cooperation, energy collaboration, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, scientific research and innovation, culture and heritage exchange, and advanced technology and AI.
Six MoUs to be signed
According to reports, six Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) are set to be signed during this visit.
PM Modi will also likely raise issues concerning the Indian diaspora, including the annual Hajj pilgrimage and the quota for Indian pilgrims.
On Wednesday, the Prime Minister will visit a factory employing Indian workers and interact with the Indian community in Saudi Arabia, which is 2.7 million strong. Describing them as a “living bridge” between the two countries, Modi is expected to acknowledge their contribution to Saudi Arabia’s development and their role in strengthening people-to-people ties.
