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India and Saudi Arabia will sign least six memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on Tuesday during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jeddah, with talks ongoing late Monday to finalise a few more agreements, according to news agency PTI.Modi is also expected to discuss issues relating to Hajj pilgrimage, including the quota for Indian pilgrims, during his meeting with Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman in the evening. The meeting is scheduled at 5.30 PM – 8:30 PM Jeddah time (3 PM to 6 PM) in the Royal Palace in Jeddah, according to sources quoted by news agency PTI.Also Read | Modi makes history: No Indian PM has ever been to this Saudi cityModi is the first Indian prime minister to visit Jeddah in Saudi Arabia in over four decades. All his previous visits have been to Riyadh, the Saudi capital. Indira Gandhi was the last Indian Prime Minister to visit Jeddah in 1982.Before engagements with MBS or Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince, Modi will interact with Indian Community at Hotel Ritz Carlton in Jeddah at 4 PM – 4:30 PM Jeddah time (1.30 PM to 2 PM) IST. Saudi Arabia is India’s fifth-largest trading partner and home to 2.7 million Indians who live and work there.The two sides are expected to sign agreements in the fields of space, energy, health, science and scientific research, culture and advanced technology, the news agency said.”Meetings in Riyadh continued late Monday to finalise details, with over a dozen MoUs under discussion, some to be signed at the official level,” an official told PTI.Modi arrived on Tuesday afternoon in Jeddah at the invitation of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.Also Read | PM Modi to embark on a two-day Saudi Arabia visit today”Jeddah is a very, very significant city in terms of connectivity between India and Saudi Arabia because for centuries, Jeddah was the port for the trade between the two countries, and it is also a gateway to Mecca. So anyone who is coming for Umrah and Hajj lands up in Jeddah and then goes to Mecca,” Indian ambassador to Saudi Arabia Suhel Ajaz Khan told PTI ahead of the prime minister’s visit.”Hajj is a very important activity and the Government of India gives it a lot of importance. Ministry of Minority Affairs has been arranging this activity… There are various issues discussed in the bilateral talks. There has always been a great coordination between the Saudi government and India on Hajj,” the ambassador said.Also Read | Prince MBS left a deep impression on me: PM Modi ahead of Saudi visitIndia’s Hajj quota for 2025 has risen to 1,75,025 from 136,020 in 2014, with arrangements for 1,22,518 pilgrims finalised. However, due to delays by Combined Haj Group Operators in contract agreements, approximately 42,000 Indians are unlikely to perform the pilgrimage this year.Modi and the Crown Prince will co-chair the second meeting of the Strategic Partnership Council, established during the prime minister’s 2019 visit to strengthen bilateral ties.On Wednesday, the prime minister, who received Saudi Arabia’s highest civilian honour in 2016, will also visit a factory employing Indian workers.Full Itinerary of Modi’s Jeddah Trip HereTuesday, April 22, 2025: 4 PM – 4:30 PM Jeddah time (1.30 PM to 2 PM) IST: Interaction with Indian Community at Hotel Ritz CarltonTuesday, April 22, 2025: 5.30 PM – 8:30 PM Jeddah time (3 PM to 6 PM): Engagements with Mohamed bin Salman, Crown Prince & Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia (Royal Palace)Jeddah is a very, very significant city in terms of connectivity between India and Saudi Arabia.
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