2nd India -Saudi PSSC meeting held in New Delhi

The 2nd India -Saudi Arabia ministerial meeting of the Political, Security, Social and Cultural Committee (PSSC) was held in New Delhi on 13 November 2024. The Meeting was co-chaired by the Indian External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar and the visiting Saudi Arabian foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

The Saudi Arabian foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, was on a 2-day visit to India on 12 and 13 of November 2024.

2nd PSSC Ministerial Meeting 

At the 2nd Political, Security, Social and Cultural Committee meeting, both countries reviewed the progress made in their bilateral relationship since the visit of Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to India in September 2023.

Both sides also discussed ways to strengthen and deepen their Strategic Partnership in energy, trade, investment, security, culture and consular matters. 

Strategic Partnership Council

The Strategic Partnership Council is the highest-level forum for the India -Saudi Arabia relationship.

The decision to establish the Strategic Partnership Council was taken during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Saudi Arabia in 2019.

The Strategic Partnership Council has two sub-committees - 

• the Committee on Economy and Investments, and
• the Committee on Political, Security, Social and Cultural Cooperation. 

Under the Strategic Partnership Council, the leaders of the two countries engage in summit-level meetings and ministerial-level meetings to discuss bilateral issues.

Prime Minister Modi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held their first summit-level meeting in September 2023.

India-Saudi Arabia  Relations 

India and Saudi Arabia have a close relationship and share a strategic relationship.

India is Saudi Arabia's second-largest trading partner, and Saudi Arabia is India's fifth-largest trading partner. 

Saudi Arabia is one of India's top crude oil and petroleum product suppliers.

Around 26.50 lakh Indian expatriates live in Saudi Arabia.

About Saudi Arabia 

It is an Islamic country with the holiest Islamic shrines at Mecca and Medina. It is the birthplace of Islam.

The world’s largest sand area, the Rub al-Khali, is in Saudi Arabia.

Capital: Riyadh 

Currency: Saudi Riyal

Head of the State and the Government: King Salman bin Abdulaziz