India and Saudi Arabia: a Strategic Partnership Council, USD 41.07 billion in trade and about 2.74 million Indians in the Kingdom

Background

India and Saudi Arabia established diplomatic relations in 1947, according to the Embassy of India in Riyadh. King Abdullah's visit to India in January 2006 produced the Delhi Declaration, and the Riyadh Declaration of 2010, during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit, raised ties to a Strategic Partnership. The Strategic Partnership Council Agreement was signed during Prime Minister Modi's Riyadh visit on 28–29 October 2019. Bilateral trade stood at USD 41.07 billion in FY 2025-26, with Indian exports of USD 10.28 billion and imports of USD 30.79 billion. Saudi Arabia is India's 5th largest trading partner, and India is Saudi Arabia's 2nd largest. About 2.74 million Indians live in the Kingdom, and India's annual Haj quota is 175,025. The safety of this community is in focus after the October 2026 attacks on Riyadh's airport, in which an Indian national died.