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.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Mountain%20Boy
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
