As PM Modi embarks on Saudi visit, Congress recalls Jawaharlal Nehru's 1956 trip

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that India and Saudi Arabia have developed a mutually beneficial and substantive partnership over the years. He made the remarks ahead of embarking on a  two-day visit to Saudi Arabia earlier today.

Meanwhile, the Congress recalled the first visit of the Saudi King to India in 1955 after which then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru went to the Middle Eastern country the following year.

Sharing two clips from the visit of the Saudi King in 1955 and Nehru's visit to Saudi Arabia in 1956, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh wrote, "As the Prime Minister begins his visit to Saudi Arabia it is worthwhile recalling the first visit of the Saudi King to India that took place in Nov-Dec 1955".

King Saud Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was in India for 17 days between November 26 and December 13, 1955, visiting New Delhi, Mumbai, Khadakwasla, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hyderabad, Agra, Aligarh, and Varanasi, he said in his post on X.

As the Prime Minister begins his visit to Saudi Arabia it is worthwhile recalling the first visit of the Saudi King to India that took place in Nov-Dec 1955.King Saud Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was in India for 17 days between Nov 26th and Dec 13th 1955, visiting New Delhi, Mumbai, pic.twitter.com/Fk90JeflHd
Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 22, 2025

"The Saudi King's extraordinary visit of 1955 overlapped with that of the two Soviet leaders Nikita Khrushchev and Nikolai Bulganin who spent a total of 19 days in India in two spells - November 18th 1955 to November 30th 1955, and again from December 7th 1955 to December 14 1955," he said.

Thereafter, then Prime Minister Nehru visited Saudi Arabia from September 24 to 28, 1956, Ramesh recalled.

Earlier today, PM Modi said India deeply values its long and historic ties with Saudi Arabia, asserting that their relations have acquired a strategic depth and momentum in recent years.

Asserting that the relations between the two nations have acquired a strategic depth and momentum in recent years, PM Modi said India and Saudi Arabia have developed a mutually beneficial and substantive partnership, including in the domains of defence, trade, investment, energy and people-to-people ties.

The Prime Minister is visiting Saudi Arabia on the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

"We have shared interest and commitment to promote regional peace, prosperity, security and stability," he said, noting that it will be his third visit to the country and the first one to the historic city of Jeddah.