Narendra Modi
Indian Prime Minister who visited Saudi Arabia in 2016.
Narendra Damodardas Modi, born on 17 September 1950 in Vadnagar, Gujarat, is an Indian politician who became the prime minister of India on 26 May 2014. He previously served as the chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament for Varanasi. A member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing Hindutva paramilitary volunteer organisation, he is India’s third-longest-serving prime minister and the longest-serving one from outside the Indian National Congress. Modi was raised in a Gujarati Hindu family of Other Backward Class background, the third of six children. He completed his secondary education in Vadnagar, where teachers described him as an average student but a gifted debater with a passion for theatre, often playing larger-than-life characters. Introduced to the RSS at age eight, he became a full-time worker for the organisation in Gujarat in 1971. Assigned to the BJP in 1985, he rose to become its general secretary in 1998. As chief minister, his administration was considered complicit in the 2002 Gujarat violence, which killed over 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, with many others raped or mutilated; a Supreme Court-authorised investigation found no evidence to prosecute him. His policies were credited with encouraging economic growth but criticised for failing to improve health, poverty, and education indices. In the 2014 general election, he led the BJP to a parliamentary majority, the first for a party since 1984. His tenure has seen increased foreign investment, reduced spending on healthcare and education, a sanitation campaign, the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax, and the weakening of environmental and labour laws. His 2016 demonetisation sparked controversy, and a 2019 airstrike in Pakistan failed to hit significant targets but had nationalist appeal. After winning a second term in 2019, his administration revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and introduced the Citizenship Amendment Act, prompting widespread protests and the 2020 Delhi riots targeting Muslims. Three controversial farm laws led to mass protests and eventual repeal. India’s COVID-19 response under Modi saw 4.7 million deaths according to the WHO. In the 2024 election, the BJP lost its majority and formed a coalition government. Under Modi, India has experienced democratic backsliding, wea
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- Indian
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- Prime Minister of India
Lore & Background
Narendra Modi made an official visit to Saudi Arabia in 2016, becoming the fourth Indian Prime Minister to do so. The visit built on earlier diplomatic milestones, including King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia's special visit to India in January 2006—the first by a Saudi monarch in 51 years—which resulted in the 'Delhi Declaration' strategic energy partnership. During that 2006 visit, King Abdullah and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed on a 'reliable, stable and increased volume of crude oil supplies to India through long-term contracts.' Modi's 2016 visit occurred against a backdrop of growing bilateral trade, which reached USD 27.5 billion in 2018 and USD 41.88 billion in the financial year 2024–25. The two countries share similar views on combating terrorism, and Saudi Arabia has expanded collaboration with India to fight Islamic terrorism in the Middle East.
Reader's Guide
Under Modi's leadership, India's relationship with Saudi Arabia has seen both cooperation and points of tension. In October 2021, India voted against a Dutch resolution in the UN Human Rights Council that proposed extending the mandate of human rights investigators in Yemen—a resolution heavily lobbied against by Saudi Arabia. In May 2023, Saudi Arabia partially boycotted a G20 tourism meeting held by India in Kashmir, ultimately participating with downgraded representation by sending only Embassy officials. In September 2023, the Saudi Foreign Minister expressed the Kingdom's desire to mediate in the Kashmir conflict. However, in April 2024, Saudi Arabia issued a statement calling for the Kashmir conflict to be resolved bilaterally between India and Pakistan, aligning with India's position on the issue. Saudi Arabia has also supported granting observer status to India in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Did You Know?
- Narendra Modi was the fourth Indian Prime Minister to visit Saudi Arabia, following Jawaharlal Nehru (1955), Indira Gandhi (1982), and Manmohan Singh (2010).
- During Modi's tenure, India voted against a UN Human Rights Council resolution on Yemen in October 2021, a position heavily lobbied for by Saudi Arabia.
- In May 2023, Saudi Arabia partially boycotted a G20 tourism meeting held by India in Kashmir, sending only Embassy officials.
- In April 2024, Saudi Arabia aligned with India's position by calling for the Kashmir conflict to be resolved bilaterally between India and Pakistan.
- Under Modi's government, Saudi Arabia increased India's Hajj quota in 2019, making India the second-highest country in number of pilgrims at 200,000 per year.
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