Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Jeddah today for a two-day state visit, marking the first time an Indian PM has visited the city in over 40 years. The visit is in response to an invitation from Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman co-chaired the second meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) in Jeddah on Tuesday, an official press release by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated.

This is Modi's third visit to the Kingdom in a decade but his first to the historic city of Jeddah — the gateway to Mecca and a key hub in India-Saudi connectivity.