Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman at Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia on April 22, 2025.
Secretary General of the Muslim World League also condemns the Pahalgam terror attack
Jeddah: Saudi Arabia today condemned the April 22, 2025, terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed civilians, prompting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to cut short his state visit to the Kingdom. Both nations rejected terrorism in all forms, describing it as a major threat to humanity, and agreed to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation, including addressing cross-border terrorism and ensuring perpetrators face justice.
The condemnation was part of a joint statement issued following Modi’s state visit on April 22, 2025, hosted by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia.
In Jeddah, Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League, also met Modi, condemned the Pahalgam attack, and offered condolences for the lives lost. Modi recalled their July 2023 meeting in New Delhi, praised the League’s promotion of tolerance, moderation, and social cohesion, and commended its stand against extremism, terrorism, and violence. Citing India’s philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the World is one Family), Modi highlighted India’s multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious diversity as a strength shaping its vibrant society and polity, and emphasised the enduring India-Saudi partnership, including socio-cultural ties.
Meanwhile, the Indian Prime Minister and the Saudi Crown Prince co-chaired the second meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) at Al-Salam Palace, Jeddah, reviewed progress since September 2023, and expanded the SPC to four committees: Political, Consular and Security Cooperation Committee; Defence Cooperation Committee; Economy, Energy, Investment and Technology Committee; and Tourism and Cultural Cooperation Committee. They signed the Minutes of the SPC meeting, noting progress in political, defence, security, trade, investment, energy, technology, agriculture, culture, and people-to-people ties.
The SPC established the Ministerial Committee on Defence Cooperation to reflect deepened ties through joint exercises like SADA TANSEEQ and AL MOHED AL HINDI, training programmes, and defence industry collaboration. The Ministerial Committee on Tourism and Cultural Cooperation was created to strengthen cultural and people-to-people ties, which have gained momentum recently. The leaders noted outcomes of the 6th Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation in Riyadh in September 2024 and agreed to enhance cooperation in cybersecurity, maritime security, and combating transnational crime, narcotics, and drug trafficking.
Economic ties advanced through the High-Level Task Force (HLTF) on Investment, formed in 2024, which secured agreements for two refineries in India and progress on taxation, facilitating Saudi Arabia’s commitment to invest USD 100 billion in India across energy, petrochemicals, infrastructure, technology, fintech, digital infrastructure, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and health. An India Desk was established at Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). The leaders aimed to conclude a Bilateral Investment Treaty, commended the 2023 Saudi-India Investment Forum, and noted the Framework of Cooperation between Invest India and Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment. India ranked as Saudi Arabia’s second-largest trading partner and Saudi Arabia as India’s fifth-largest in 2023-2024, with plans to diversify trade through India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Free Trade Agreement negotiations and startup ecosystem collaboration.
Modi congratulated Saudi Arabia on securing bids for the World Expo 2030 and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup 2034. Both sides acknowledged the welfare of 2.7 million Indian nationals in the Kingdom and Saudi Arabia’s coordination for Indian Haj and Umrah pilgrims in 2024. In energy, they committed to stabilising global oil markets, securing the supply of crude oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and collaborating on refining, petrochemicals, renewable energy, and green hydrogen. They welcomed a joint study on electrical interconnection and cooperation in energy efficiency, grid automation, and storage technologies.
On climate change, India supported Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Green Initiative and Middle East Green Initiative, while Saudi Arabia recognised India’s International Solar Alliance, Coalition of Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and Mission Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE). Both endorsed a circular carbon economy under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement. Health cooperation progressed with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on health between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India and the Ministry of Health of Saudi Arabia, and an extended MoU on medical products regulation between the Saudi Food and Drug Authority and India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the Fourth Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance in Jeddah in November 2024 was noted.
In technology, MoUs were signed between the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and Saudi Arabia’s Communications, Space and Technology Commission, and between the Department of Space of India and the Saudi Space Agency on Cooperation in the Field of Space Activities for Peaceful Purposes, covering launch vehicles and spacecraft. Additional MoUs addressed cooperation between the Saudi Post Corporation (SPL) and the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications of India on Inward Surface Parcel, and between the National Anti-Doping Agency of India (NADA) and Saudi Arabia Anti-Doping Committee (SAADC) on Anti-Doping Education and Prevention. Cultural and tourism cooperation expanded, covering heritage, film, literature, arts, media, entertainment, and sports.
Agriculture and food security ties, including fertiliser trade, were reaffirmed, alongside educational and scientific collaboration, with Saudi Arabia welcoming Indian universities. Both nations supported the 2023 India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor MoU for railway, port, and data connectivity, and an October 2023 MoU on electrical interconnections and green hydrogen. They endorsed cooperation in the Group of Twenty (G20), International Monetary Fund (IMF), and World Bank, and supported a political solution to the Yemen crisis, with India noting Saudi Arabia’s dialogue efforts and humanitarian aid. Both emphasised maritime security under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The next SPC meeting was scheduled for a mutually agreed date, with both nations committed to continued coordination. Modi thanked Prince Mohammed for the hospitality at Al-Salam Palace and wished prosperity for Saudi Arabia, with the Crown Prince reciprocating for India. The visit, Modi’s third to Saudi Arabia, was cut short due to the Pahalgam terror attack.
– global bihari bureau
