Bengaluru: In a first, Armies of India and Saudi Arabia will take up a joint bilateral exercise. 

WION adds that the Indian Army will be travelling to Arabia in the next financial year. 

In what be easily construed as a positively growing relation between the two nations, Indian Army General RR Naravane had travelled to the country in question last December. 

The website adds that the Army Chief, during his visit, had visited Headquarters of Royal Saudi Land Force, the Joint Force Command Headquarters and King Abdul Aziz Military Academy. 

It should be noted that Saudi Arabia identifies India as one of the Kingdom’s Strategic Partner Countries under its 'Vision 2030’.

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In the year 2019, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had paid a visit to the country, in which Strategic Partnership Council Agreement was signed. 

In the same year, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman had visited New Delhi. During the visit, Riyadh announced investments targeting a value of US $ 100 billion in India.

It was in the year of India’s independence that India and Saudi Arabia established diplomatic relations. King Saud visited India in 1955 and the Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru visited the Kingdom in 1956.

Saudi Arabia is India’s fourth largest trade partner and India imports around 18 per cent of its crude oil requirement from the Kingdom.

The Indian diaspore in Saudi Arabia numbers 2.6 million. It also happens to be the largest expatriate community in the kingdom.

Further, the ‘State Visit’ honour accorded to the visit of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to India in February, 2019 cemented the ties in diversified fields.

The announcement on Saudi investments worth US $ 100 billion in India and identifying India as one of the Kingdom’s 8 Strategic Partner Countries under ‘Vision 2030’ clearly earmarks the growing bilateral ties in an upward trajectory.