Saudi Arabia committed to long-term ties with India

India and Saudi Arabia’s relationship will be maintained for thousands of years, Arab News quoted Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman as saying at an official welcoming ceremony in New Delhi on Wednesday.

“We want to be sure India and Saudi Arabia’s relationship is maintained for thousands of years,” the Crown Prince said, flanked by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind.

Earlier, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz arrived on an official visit to India on Tuesday night.

Upon his arrival at an Indian military base, the Crown Prince was received by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Prince Mohammed will receive a ceremonial welcome on Wednesday at the presidential palace and meet the Indian foreign minister, before sitting down with Indian prime minister for talks that are expected to be wide-ranging.

In the evening President Ram Nath Kovind will host a banquet in honor of the Crown Prince, who is accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes ministers, senior officials and leading Saudi businesspeople.

In a separate statement published by SPA, Kamel Al-Munajjid, chairman of the Saudi-Indian Business Council, confirmed that the visit by Prince Mohammed to India comes within the framework of the historical relations of the two countries.

Al-Munajjid praised the bilateral relations between the two countries in various political and economic aspects, adding the Crown Prince's visit is a positive indicator and will allow Saudi companies to invest various sectors in India.

India is the fourth-largest trading partner of Saudi Arabia, with bilateral trade worth $27.5 billion last year, with Riyadh supplying 20 percent of India’s crude-oil requirement.

Last year, Saudi Aramco and UAE's ADNOC announced a $44 billion joint venture with Indian oil companies to build a refinery complex in India.

Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman arrives in India, gets a warm reception from Prime Minister Narendra Modi went beyond the normal protocols. The visit marks a milestone in #Saudi-#Indian relations. #SaudiCrownPrinceInIndia pic.twitter.com/dRq36aFDSk

— CIC Saudi Arabia (@CICSaudi) February 20, 2019