Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a two-day trip during which he will meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in an effort to strengthen ties.
Mr Modi was received at Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport by Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Makkah Region, and Minister of Commerce Majid Al Qasabi.
It marks Mr Modi's third to Saudi Arabia as Prime Minister and his first in six years. It follows a visit by Prince Mohammed to India in September 2023. The Indian leader will travel to Jeddah on the Red Sea coast to meet Indian factory workers and hold talks with the Saudi Crown Prince.
The pair are expected to discuss defence, trade and energy. The trip comes a day after Mr Modi held talks with US Vice President JD Vance in India, as New Delhi tries to secure a trade deal with Washington to avoid tariffs.
“India deeply values its long and historic ties with Saudi Arabia that have acquired strategic depth and momentum in recent years,” Mr Modi said in a statement released by his office. “We have a shared interest and commitment to promote regional peace, prosperity, security and stability.”
For years, Saudi Arabia has been a leading supplier of oil to India, whose economy relies heavily on the imports. The kingdom is India's third-largest supplier, the Indian Foreign Ministry said.
Saudi Arabia is also home to more than two million Indian citizens who play a crucial role in its labour market, helping to build infrastructure while sending billions of dollars home in remittances each year.
Both countries could benefit from improved ties, as steep US tariffs that have rocked global markets push countries to bolster trade relations with allies and neighbours. India and Saudi Arabia are already top-five trading partners for each other.
Developments on energy ties are expected during Mr Modi's visit, including several deals, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said before the trip.
“Saudi Arabia is a key player in our energy scenario,” Mr Misri said in a briefing on Saturday. “We are looking at infusing an even more strategic outlook in the energy partnership between the two countries.”
Discussions around investment in healthcare services, tourism and entertainment – described by the Foreign Ministry as relatively new areas for collaboration – may also be on the cards, along with talks on how Indian firms can support mega-infrastructure projects in Saudi Arabia.
In 2019, Prince Mohammed pledged to invest $100 billion in India. Saudi state-backed energy giant Saudi Aramco has long voiced interest in investing in the country. The company came close to doing so in 2019 through a partnership with Reliance Industries but the deal fell apart two years later.
Saudi Arabia’s investments in India currently total about $10 billion, according to India’s embassy in Riyadh.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Leaderboard
15 under: Paul Casey (ENG)
-14: Robert MacIntyre (SCO)
-13 Brandon Stone (SA)
-10 Laurie Canter (ENG) , Sergio Garcia (ESP)
-9 Kalle Samooja (FIN)
-8 Thomas Detry (BEL), Justin Harding (SA), Justin Rose (ENG)
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TCL INFO
Teams:
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
Zayed Sustainability Prize
INDIA'S%20TOP%20INFLUENCERS
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
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How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray
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Without Remorse
Directed by: Stefano Sollima
Starring: Michael B Jordan
4/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16, second leg (first-leg scores in brackets):
PSG (2) v Manchester United (0)
Midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
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