Riyadh, 8 Sept

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived here in the Saudi capital on Sunday on a two-day visit to attend the first India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers' meeting.

Jaishankar is here on the first leg of his three-nation tour that will also take him to Germany and Switzerland.

"Arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to take part in the First India-Gulf Cooperation Council Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Thank Abdulmajeed Al Smari, Deputy Minister for Protocol Affairs for the warm reception," Jaishankar said in a post on X.

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.

Later in the day, Jaishankar visited the Saudi National Museum and King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives in Riyadh.

"Brought out India's deep historical connect that now serves as a foundation to develop a strong contemporary relationship," he said in another post.

In Riyadh, Jaishankar is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of several GCC member countries.

Ahead of the visit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi on Saturday said India and the GCC enjoy a deep and multifaceted relationship, including in areas of trade and investment, energy, cultural and people-to-people ties.

"The GCC region has emerged as a major trading partner for India and is home to a large Indian expatriate community, numbering around 8.9 million," it said in a statement.

"The Foreign Ministers meeting will be an opportunity to review and deepen institutional cooperation between India and the GCC across various sectors," it said.

From Riyadh, Jaishankar will travel to Germany where he will meet the German Foreign Minister as well as the leadership and other Ministers from the German government to review the entire gamut of bilateral relations.