Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday will travel to Kuwait on a two-day visit, the first by an Indian premier in more than four decades.
The last prime ministerial visit from the Indian side to Kuwait was 43 years ago. The late former premier Indira Gandhi visited Kuwait in 1981, while then vice president Hamid Ansari visited the West Asian country in 2009.
In his two-day trip, Prime Minister Modi will hold meetings with Kuwait’s top leadership.
Modi is visiting Kuwait at the invitation of the Amir, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Besides meeting the Amir, he will hold talks with the Kuwaiti Crown Prince and the prime minister. These meetings will allow the two sides to review ties in areas such as trade, investment, energy, culture and people-to-people contacts.
He will also visit a labour camp housing Indian blue-collar workers, address an Indian community event and attend the opening ceremony of the Gulf Cup football tournament.
Preparations were underway for Modi’s ‘Hala Modi’ community event which will be held at Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah Sports Complex in Kuwait, news agency ANI reported.
A day ahead of the prime minister’s trip, the ministry of external affairs said Modi’s visit to Kuwait is expected to “open a new chapter” in India-Kuwait relations.
“It will not only consolidate the partnership in existing spheres but also unveil new avenues for future cooperation, reinforce our shared values and build a more stronger and dynamic partnership for the future,” Arun Kumar Chatterjee, secretary (Overseas Indian Affairs) in the ministry, said at a media briefing.
He said discussions were underway with Kuwait for a bilateral investment treaty and a defence cooperation agreement.
Chatterjee also said the visit is also expected to boost ties between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), currently chaired by Kuwait.
The GCC is an influential grouping comprising the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. The total volume of India’s trade with GCC countries stood at USD 184.46 billion in the financial year 2022-23.
India-Kuwait relations
India is among Kuwait’s top trading partners and two-way trade was worth $10.47 billion during 2023-24. Indian exports increased from $1.56 billion in 2022-23 to $2.1 billion in 2023-24, with year-on-year growth of 34.7%.
Kuwait is India’s sixth largest crude supplier, meeting 3% of the country’s energy needs, while investments by the Kuwait Investment Authority in India exceed $10 billion. One million Indians make up the largest expatriate community in Kuwait.