New Delhi: The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Abdulaziz A Saud is in India to give a major boost to bilateral ties. The two countries are expected to sign various agreements in defence, trade and investment, and energy sectors. The visit is from February 26-28.
The Prince is accompanied by the Deputy PM and Defence minister along with senior officials and heads of industries to explore possibilities of investing in tourism, oil and gas.
During his visit, Prince Saud will hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other Indian leaders on expanding bilateral cooperation. He will also meet President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid, is his second visit to India after becoming crown prince.
Saudi Arabia is India’s 4th largest partner with bilateral trade in excess of US$ 43 billion in 2012-13. Saudi Arabia is also India’s largest crude oil supplier accounting for about one-fifth of our total imports in 2012-13. Indians form the largest expatriate community in Saudi Arabia with over 2.88 million Indian nationals presently working in Saudi Arabia.