Saudi Arabia’s top leadership on Monday extended warm Republic Day greetings to President Droupadi Murmu, underscoring the deepening strategic partnership and longstanding friendship between the two nations.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, sent a formal congratulatory message to the Indian President, praising the strong bilateral relations that bind India and Saudi Arabia and expressing confidence in their continued expansion across key sectors.

In a statement issued by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, King Salman conveyed his sincere congratulations to President Murmu on the occasion of India’s Republic Day and wished her continued health and happiness. He also extended his best wishes for sustained progress and prosperity to the Government and people of India.

The Saudi monarch highlighted the “distinguished relations” shared by the two countries, describing India and Saudi Arabia as friendly nations committed to strengthening cooperation in all fields, including economic development, security, and people-to-people engagement.

Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud also sent a separate congratulatory cable to President Murmu, reiterating his goodwill and appreciation for the growing partnership between New Delhi and Riyadh. He expressed his hopes for India’s continued advancement and prosperity while reaffirming Saudi Arabia’s commitment to enhancing bilateral ties.

The exchange of Republic Day greetings comes amid a phase of significant momentum in India–Saudi Arabia relations. In April last year, the two countries expanded the scope of their Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State Visit to the Kingdom.

As part of this expansion, two new ministerial committees—focused on defence cooperation and tourism and culture—were added to the SPC framework, bringing the total number of ministerial committees under the council to four. The move reflected the growing breadth and depth of engagement between the two nations.

Prime Minister Modi’s visit, his third to Saudi Arabia, was undertaken at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. During the visit, the two leaders co-chaired the second meeting of the Strategic Partnership Council and reviewed progress in areas including defence, energy security, trade, investment, technology, and education.

Both sides expressed satisfaction with the steady growth in bilateral trade and economic cooperation. India has emerged as Saudi Arabia’s second-largest trading partner, while the Kingdom is now India’s fifth-largest trading partner globally. The leaders agreed to expedite negotiations on the proposed India–Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Free Trade Agreement to further strengthen economic integration.

Several memoranda of understanding were also signed during the visit, covering cooperation in health, space exploration, postal services, and anti-doping initiatives.

The two leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to national development visions—Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and India’s Viksit Bharat 2047—agreeing to collaborate in areas of mutual interest to promote inclusive growth, innovation, and long-term prosperity.

The Republic Day greetings from Saudi Arabia’s leadership reaffirm the strategic importance of India–Saudi ties at a time when both nations are playing increasingly influential roles in shaping regional stability and global economic trends.