India, Saudi Arabia Explore Fresh Investment Avenues To Deepen Strategic Partnership

India and Saudi Arabia on Sunday (September 5, 2025) explored fresh avenues for cooperation in the investment sector, as both sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding economic ties.

India’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Suhel Ajaz Khan, met Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih in Riyadh for this discussion. This meeting comes days after Saudi Arabia signed a strategic agreement with India’s bete noire, Pakistan.

What did India, Saudi Arabia discuss?

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Indian Embassy in Riyadh said the discussions were “wide-ranging” and focused on boosting mutual investments and partnerships between India and the Kingdom.

Ambassador Khan also thanked Saudi Arabia for its continued support to Indian businesses, establishing a stronger presence in the Gulf nation.

The Saudi Ministry of Investment echoed similar sentiments in its own statement, saying the meeting covered “topics of mutual interest in the investment sector” and examined ways to “enhance growth, integration, and strategic cooperation” between the two countries.

Is this India, Saudi Arabia development new?

India and Saudi Arabia enjoy a relationship grounded in centuries of trade, culture, and people-to-people connections.

The two countries have institutionalised their cooperation through the Strategic Partnership Council (SPC), which focuses on advancing collaboration across key sectors.

The SPC operates through two sub-committees—one on Political, Security, Social and Cultural Cooperation, and the other on Economy and Investments.

How has the India-Saudi Arabia ties grown?

According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Saudi Arabia is India’s fourth-largest trading partner, while India ranks as the second-largest trading partner for the Kingdom.

Bilateral trade between the two nations stood at $52.76 billion in FY23, with India’s imports from Saudi Arabia rising 23.47% to $42.03 billion, and exports increasing 22.48% to $10.72 billion.

Saudi investments in India have also been on the rise, reaching $3.15 billion by March 2022. Major Saudi firms such as Aramco, Sabic, Zamil, e-holidays, and Al Batterjee Group have contributed to this growth.

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) has further strengthened ties by investing about $4.6 billion in Indian start-ups through SoftBank’s Vision Fund.

The latest meeting in Riyadh signals a shared resolve to deepen economic engagement and build a more resilient and forward-looking strategic partnership between India and Saudi Arabia.