Saudi Arabia, India Expand Strategic Partnership Council, Pledge Closer International Coordination

Saudi Arabia and India welcomed the expansion of the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council to include four ministerial committees, featuring a ministerial committee for defense cooperation and another for tourism and culture.
Recognizing the importance of joint action on global issues, they also agreed to enhance cooperation and coordination within international organizations and forums such as the G20, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank. This commitment aims to bolster efforts in addressing global economic challenges.
This was stated in the joint statement released at the conclusion of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Kingdom, which reads as follows:
“At the invitation of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Republic of India Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a state visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on April 22, 2025.
This was Modi’s third visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It followed the historic state visit of HRH the Crown Prince to India in September 2023 to participate in the G20 Summit and co-chair the first meeting of the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council.
HRH the Crown Prince received Modi at Al-Salam Palace, Jeddah. They held official talks, during which they recalled the strong bonds of historically close friendship between the Republic of India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. India and Saudi Arabia enjoy a strong relationship and close people-to-people ties marked by trust and goodwill. The two sides noted that the solid foundation of the bilateral relationship between the two nations has further strengthened through the strategic partnership covering diverse areas, including defense, security, energy, trade, investment, technology, agriculture, culture, health, education, and people-to-people ties. Both sides also exchanged views on current regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Modi congratulated HRH the Crown Prince for Saudi Arabia’s successful bids for World Expo 2030 and FIFA World Cup 2034.
The two leaders held constructive discussions on ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The two leaders also co-chaired the second meeting of the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council. The two sides reviewed the progress of the strategic partnership council since their last meeting in September 2023. Both leaders expressed their satisfaction with the outcomes of the work of the two Ministerial Committees, namely: the Committee on Political, Security, Social and Cultural Cooperation and their subcommittees, and the Committee on Economy and Investment and their joint working groups, in diverse fields. In this context, the co-chairs of the council welcomed the expansion of the strategic partnership council to four ministerial committees reflecting the deepening of the strategic partnership, by addition of the Ministerial Committees on Defense Cooperation, and Tourism and Cultural Cooperation. The two leaders noted with appreciation the large number of high-level visits across various ministries that have built trust and mutual understanding on both sides. At the end of the meeting, the two leaders signed the minutes of the second meeting of the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council.
The Indian side expressed its appreciation to the Saudi side for the continuing welfare of around 2.7 million Indian nationals residing in the Kingdom, reflecting the strong people-to-people bonds and immense goodwill that exists between the two nations. The Indian side also congratulated Saudi Arabia for successfully holding the Hajj in 2024 and expressed its appreciation for the excellent coordination between the two countries in facilitating the Hajj and Umrah experience for Indian pilgrims.
Both sides welcomed the growth of the economic relationship, trade, and investment ties between India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in recent years. The Indian side congratulated the Saudi side for the progress achieved on the goals under Vision 2030. The Saudi side expressed appreciation for India’s sustained economic growth and the goal of Viksit Bharat or becoming a developed country by 2047. Both sides agreed to work together in areas of mutual interests to fulfill respective national goals and achieve shared prosperity.
Both Leaders noted with satisfaction the progress made in the discussions under the High-Level Task Force, constituted in 2024 for promoting investment flows between the two countries. Building on the endeavor of Saudi Arabia to invest in India in multiple areas, including energy, petrochemicals, infrastructure, technology, fintech, digital infrastructure, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and health, it was noted that the High-Level Task Force came to an understanding in multiple areas which will rapidly promote such investment flows.
They noted the agreement in the High-Level Task Force to collaborate on establishing two refineries. The progress made by this Task Force in areas such as taxation was also a major breakthrough for greater cooperation in the future. The two sides affirmed their desire to complete negotiations on the Bilateral Investment Treaty at the earliest. The Indian side appreciated the launch of India Desk at the Public Investment Fund (PIF) to act as the nodal point for investment facilitation by PIF. They observed that the work of the High-Level Task Force underscores the growing economic partnership between India and Saudi Arabia, focusing on mutual economic growth and collaborative investments.
The two sides affirmed their commitment to strengthening their direct and indirect investment partnership. They commended the outcomes of the Saudi-India Investment Forum, held in New Delhi in September 2023, and the active cooperation it achieved between the public and private sectors from both countries. They also commended the expansion of investment activities by Indian companies in the Kingdom, and appreciated the role of the private sector in enhancing mutual investments. The two sides valued the activation of the Framework of Cooperation on Enhancing Bilateral Investment between Invest India and the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia. Both sides agreed to facilitate enhanced bilateral cooperation in the startup ecosystem, contributing to mutual growth and innovation.
In the field of Energy, the Indian side agreed to work with the Kingdom to enhance the stability of global oil markets and to balance global energy market dynamics. They emphasized the need to ensure security of supply for all energy sources in global markets. They agreed on the importance of enhancing cooperation in several areas in the energy sector, including the supply of crude oil and its derivatives including LPG, collaboration in India’s Strategic Reserve Program, joint projects across the refining and petrochemical sector, including manufacturing and specialized industries, innovative uses of hydrocarbons, electricity, and renewable energy, including completing the detailed joint study for electrical interconnection between the two countries, exchanging expertise in the fields of grid automation, grid connectivity, electrical grid security and resilience, and renewable energy projects and energy storage technologies, and enhancing the participation of companies from both sides in implementing their projects.
The two sides emphasized the importance of cooperation in the field of green/clean hydrogen, including stimulating demand, developing hydrogen transport and storage technologies, and exchanging expertise and experiences to implement best practices. The two sides also acknowledged the need to work on developing supply chains and projects linked to the energy sector, enabling cooperation between companies, enhancing cooperation in the field of energy efficiency and rationalizing energy consumption in the buildings, industry, and transportation sectors, and raising awareness of its importance.
With regard to climate change, both sides reaffirmed the importance of adhering to the principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, and the need to develop and implement climate agreements with a focus on emissions rather than sources. The Indian side commended the Kingdom’s launch of the “Saudi Green Initiative” and the “Middle East Green Initiative“ and expressed its support for the Kingdom’s efforts in the field of climate change.
The two sides stressed the importance of cooperation to develop applications of the circular carbon economy by promoting policies that use the circular carbon economy as a tool to manage emissions and achieve climate change objectives. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia appreciated India’s contributions to global climate action by pioneering initiatives like the International Solar Alliance, One Sun-One World-One Grid, Coalition of Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and Mission Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE), and Global Green Credit Initiative.
Both sides expressed satisfaction at the steady growth in bilateral trade in recent years, with India being the second largest trading partner for Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Arabia being India’s fifth largest trading partner in 2023-2024. Both sides agreed to further enhance co-operation to diversify their bilateral trade. In this regard, both sides agreed on the importance of increasing visits of business and trade delegations, and holding trade and investment events. Both sides reiterated their desire to commence negotiations on the India-GCC FTA.
The two sides appreciated the deepening of the defense ties as a key pillar of the strategic partnership, and welcomed the creation of a Ministerial Committee on Defense Cooperation under the Strategic Partnership Council. They noted with satisfaction the growth of their joint defense cooperation, including numerous ‘firsts’ like the first ever Land Forces exercise SADA TANSEEQ, two rounds of the Naval Exercises AL MOHED AL HINDI, many high-level visits, and training exchanges, towards ensuring the security and stability of the region. They welcomed the outcomes of the 6th meeting of the Joint Committee on Defense Cooperation held in Riyadh in September 2024, noting the initiation of staff-level talks between all three services. Both sides also agreed to enhance defense industry collaboration.
Noting the continuing cooperation achieved in security fields, both sides highlighted the importance of this cooperation for better security and stability. They also emphasized the importance of furthering cooperation between both sides in the areas of cybersecurity, maritime border security, combating transnational crime, narcotics and drug trafficking.
Both sides strongly condemned the gruesome terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, which claimed the lives of innocent civilians. In this context, the two sides condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all forms and manifestations, and emphasized that this remains one of the gravest threats to humanity. They agreed that there cannot be any justification for any act of terror for any reason. They rejected any attempt to link terrorism to any particular race, religion or culture. They welcomed the excellent cooperation between the two sides in counter-terrorism and terror financing. They condemned cross-border terrorism, and called on all states to reject the use of terrorism against other countries, dismantle terrorism infrastructure where it exists, and bring perpetrators of terrorism to justice swiftly. Both sides stressed the need to prevent access to weapons, including missiles and drones, to commit terrorist acts against other countries.
The two sides noted the ongoing cooperation in field of health and efforts to combat current and future health risks and health challenges. In this context, they welcomed the signing of an MoU on cooperation in the field of health between the two countries. The Indian side congratulated the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for successfully hosting the Fourth Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance in Jeddah in November 2024, and welcomed the initiatives taken by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority to address issues related to reference pricing and fast track registration of Indian drugs in Saudi Arabia. Both sides also welcomed the extension of the MoU on co-operation in the field of medical products regulation between the Saudi Food and Drug Authority and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) for a further five years.
Both sides underscored the importance of co-operation in technology, including in new and emerging domains such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and semiconductors. Highlighting the importance of digital governance, both sides agreed to explore collaboration in this area. They also expressed satisfaction on the signing of the MoU between the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and the Communications, Space and Technology Commission of Saudi Arabia for cooperation in the regulatory and digital sectors.
Both sides noted that the MoU on space cooperation signed during this visit will pave the way for enhanced cooperation in the field of space, including the utilization of launch vehicles, spacecraft, and ground systems, applications of space technology, research and development, academic engagement, and entrepreneurship.
Both sides noted the growth of cultural cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of India through active engagement in key sectors such as heritage, film, literature, and performing and visual arts. The creation of a Ministerial Committee on Tourism and Cultural Cooperation under the Strategic Partnership Council marks a significant step toward deepening this partnership.
Both sides also agreed to enhance cooperation in tourism, including through capacity building and sustainable tourism. They also noted the expansion of various opportunities in media, entertainment, and sports, supported by the strong people-to-people ties between the two countries.
Both sides appreciated the long-standing cooperation between the two countries in the areas of agriculture and food security, including the trade of fertilizers. They agreed to pursue long-term agreements for the security of supply, mutual investments, and joint projects towards building long-term strategic cooperation in this area.
The two sides commended the growing momentum in educational and scientific collaboration between the two countries, underscoring its strategic importance in fostering innovation, capacity building, and sustainable development. The Saudi side welcomed the opportunities for leading Indian universities to have presence in Saudi Arabia. The two sides also stressed the value of expanding cooperation in labor and human resources and identifying opportunities for collaboration.
Both sides recalled the signing of the MoU on the principles of an India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor along with other countries in September 2023 during the state visit of HRH the Crown Prince to India and expressed mutual commitment to work together to realize the vision of connectivity as envisaged in the corridor, including the development of infrastructure that includes railways and port linkages to increase the passage of goods and services, and boost trade among stakeholders, and enhance data connectivity and electrical grid interconnectivity. In this regard, both sides welcomed the progress under the MoU on electrical interconnections, clean/green hydrogen, and supply chains signed in October 2023. Both sides also expressed satisfaction with the increase in shipping lines between the two countries.
The two sides stressed the importance of enhancing cooperation and coordination between the two countries in international organizations and forums, including the G20, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank, to bolster efforts to address the challenges facing the global economy. They commended the existing cooperation between them within the Common Framework for Debt Treatment Beyond the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI), which was endorsed by the G20 leaders at the Riyadh Summit 2020. They stressed the importance of enhancing the implementation of the Common Framework as the main and most comprehensive platform for coordination between official creditors (developing country creditors and Paris Club creditors) and the private sector to address the debt of eligible countries.
The two sides affirmed their full support for the international and regional efforts aimed at reaching a comprehensive political solution to the crisis in Yemen. The Indian side appreciated the Kingdom’s many initiatives aimed at encouraging dialogue between the Yemeni parties, and its role in providing and facilitating access of humanitarian aid to all regions of Yemen. The Saudi side also appreciated the Indian effort in providing humanitarian aid to Yemen. The two sides agreed on the importance of cooperation to promote ways to ensure the security and safety of waterways and freedom of navigation in line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Signed during the visit were an MoU between the Indian Department of Space and the Saudi Space Agency in the field of space activities for peaceful purposes, an MoU between the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Saudi Ministry of Health on cooperation in the field of health, bilateral agreement between the Indian Department of Posts and the Saudi Post for inward foreign surface parcel, and an MoU between the Indian National Anti-Doping Agency and Saudi Arabia Anti-Doping Committee for cooperation in the field of anti-doping and prevention.
Both sides agreed to hold the next Strategic Partnership Council meeting at a mutually convenient time. Recognizing their ongoing economic and social progress, they also committed to continued communication, coordination, and cooperation across various sectors.
At the end of the visit, Modi expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to HRH the Crown Prince for the warm reception and generous hospitality extended to him and his accompanying delegation. He also conveyed his best wishes for continued progress and prosperity of the friendly people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. HRH the Crown Prince extended his sincere wishes to Modi and the friendly people of India for further progress and prosperity.”