India and Saudi Arabia on Monday decided to expedite implementation of the $50 billion West Coast refinery project, and identified energy, defence, semiconductor and space as areas for intensified cooperation during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.
Thousands of yoga enthusiasts across the world marked the International Day of Yoga on Sunday, as Indian missions abroad organised events to highlight the ancient practice's role in fostering health and well-being.
A new report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) indicates that India has expanded its nuclear arsenal and is developing long-range weapons capable of reaching targets across China, while also maintaining focus on its rivalry with Pakistan.
The MoU on combating crime covering terrorism was signed by Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faizal bin Abdul Aziz al Saud.\n\n
India and Saudi Arabia on Friday, agreed to increase investments in each other's country through joint ventures to enhance economic cooperation. Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and Saudi Arabian Minister of Commerce and Industry Abdullah bin Ahmed Zainal Alireza, agreed to regular exchange of business delegations to sensitise the businesspersons in both the countries.
Terrorism will be high on the agenda of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his three-day visit to Saudi Arabia from Saturday when the two countries will sign an extradition treaty. Singh will be the first Indian PM to visit Saudi Arabia in the last 28 years; the last visit was undertaken by Indira Gandhi in 1982. The prime minister will hold talks with King Abdullah on a number of bilateral and regional matters of mutual concern and address the influential Shura Council.
India and Saudi Arabia have decided to further strengthen and deepen their counter-terrorism cooperation, nearly a year after Riyadh deported Abu Jundal, wanted in the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attack.
'Nor would it have serious implications in India's relations with Saudi Arabia that stand on their own and have improved significantly in recent times, including in defence and strategic affairs.'
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will spearhead discussions on gender eligibility criteria in sports, its new President Kirsty Coventry said on Thursday, four years after the ruling body had urged federations to handle the issue independently.
'Pakistan has found itself in a favourable position after Operation Sindoor by appreciating the mediation as claimed by Trump and recommending him for the Nobel Peace Prize.'
India and Saudi Arabia on Monday called on states to reject the use of terrorism against other countries and prevent access to weapons, including missiles and drones, to commit acts of terror.
All-party parliamentary delegations on Friday met leaders and diplomats from several countries to galvanise international action against terrorists and decisively counter the tactics of those who perpetrate, support and sponsor cross-border terror activities against India.
The US hails the landmark 'India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor' which will usher in a new era of connectivity from Europe to Asia and will stimulate economic growth across the two continents.
'Honoured to call on HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah this evening. Conveyed the warm greetings of PM @narendramodi.'
In what is seen as a major boost to India-Saudi Arabia defence ties, Lieutenant General Fahd Bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutair, commander of the Royal Saudi Land Forces, visited India for three days earlier this week.
Biden told reporters at a joint news conference with the visiting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that his analysis is based on his instinct and does not have any proof for this.
There is a special category of tickets available only to residents of host nation Qatar and fans in the Gulf Arab state have bought the largest number of tickets, FIFA said.
India remained the world's top arms importer, but its imports declined by 11 per cent between 2013-17 and 2018-22, according to a report released on Monday by Stockholm-based defence think-tank SIPRI.
'The attacks made clear to all the Gulf States that Pakistan was the nursery and sanctuary of extremist violence and that this violence threatened all the countries in the region.'
India features in the list of top 10 exporters to the UAE in November, 2010, with a total value of $6.9 billion (25.4 billion dirhams), or 63 per cent of UAE imports, the country's Federal Customs Authority (FCA) has said.
The known unknowns in Prime Minister Modi's Saudi visit assume great significance, says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
India is estimated to have over 11 lakh (1.1 million) BlackBerry users.
India-Saudi Arabia relations are set to receive a major boost with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday embarking on his long-overdue visit to this oil- rich country during which the two sides will sign an extradition treaty and 10 other pacts in various fields.
Indonesia will now allow visa-on-arrival facility for tourists from 14 countries, including India, in an effort to boost foreign arrivals.
Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis said Russia would be asked to join the peace plan discussions at some point in time but to bring Russia on the table would require mediation by some countries.
Putin made these remarks on Tuesday while speaking at the Plenary session of the 8th Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, a major port city in sanctions-hit Russia's Far East region
According to the experts, a lot of countries have little or no faith in Chinese companies because of poor after-sales support and equipment that rapidly declines into non-functional machinery.
Among the Indian carriers, Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, and SpiceJet operate flights to Saudi Arabia while Saudi Arabian Airlines and Flynas are the two carriers operating in India.
The two sides held discussions on enhancing investment in technology, renewable energy and food security.
In January 2006, King Abdullah became the first Saudi monarch in 51 years to visit India.
PM Modi also called for a strong action plan for combating extremism.
Prime Minister Modi arrived in Riyadh late Monday night on a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia to participate in the high-profile financial summit Future Investment Initiative, dubbed "Davos in the desert", an initiative of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
In contrast, India's arms imports from France increased more than tenfold, making it India's second largest arms supplier in 2017-21, it stated.
The trade between India and Saudi Arabia is growing rapidly with the bilateral trade crossing USD 9.87 billion last year.
Last October, the national carrier sold five planes of the same type to Etihad Airways for about $350 million.
India will become one of the first countries to ink an extradition treaty with Saudi Arabia, when Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh-led delegation would meet Saudi leaders later this week.
A decision to this effect was taken at the Indo-Saudi Joint Commission meeting attended by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and the Saudi minister of commerce and industry, Abdullah Zainal Alireza, at Riyadh at the weekend.
A total of 254 millionaires from India have used the so-called "golden visa" to settle down in the UK through a large investment into the country since the route opened in 2008, according to a new report released by a UK-based anti-corruption charity on Monday. Spotlight on Corruption said that Indians ranked as the seventh nationality of super-rich to have availed of the Tier 1 (Investor) Visa, adding up to 254 between 2008 and 2020. China topped the list at 4,106, followed by Russia (2,526), Hong Kong (692), the United States (685), Pakistan (283) and Kazakhstan (278) ahead of India.
'The Saudis are in the driving seat in navigating the relations with India; they set its compass and calibrate its pace,' points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'Quiet back channel advice will probably be rendered by Saudi Arabia to India that international perception on both issues does not favour India and that it should be prudent to look inwards and introspect on where the failing has been,' notes Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (retd).
