India, Saudi Arabia to Deepen Bilateral Maritime Relations with Joint Working Group (JWG)
India, Saudi Arabia to Deepen Bilateral Maritime Relations with Joint Working Group (JWG)
India and Saudi Arabia agreed to deepen the bilateral maritime relations with a Joint Working Group (JWG) on maritime cooperation in the shipping and logistics sectors, marking a new chapter in the strategic partnership. This decision was taken during a high-level virtual meeting between Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal and Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Transport and Logistic Services, H.E. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser.
Shri Sarbananda Sonowal underscored the historic and growing relationship between the two nations. “India and Saudi Arabia share centuries-old economic and socio-cultural ties. Our bilateral relationship has further deepened under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Shri Narendra Modi ji and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia,” Shri Sonowal said.
The establishment of the Strategic Partnership Council, co-chaired by the leaders of both countries, has elevated bilateral cooperation to new heights. Saudi Arabia is India’s fifth largest trading partner, while India stands as the Kingdom’s second largest trading partner. Bilateral trade in FY 2024–25 stood at approximately USD 42 billion. During the talks, Shri Sonowal highlighted complementarities between India’s Maritime India Vision 2030 and Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 with Saudi Vision 2030.
“Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Modi ji, India has embarked on an unprecedented maritime transformation. We see strong complementarities with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, particularly in logistics and supply chain transformation,” Shri Sarbananda Sonowal said.
Shri Sonowal pointed to recent developments, including the launch of the Jeddah–Mundra/Nhava Sheva route by Saudi Arabia’s Folk Maritime Services, which is expected to cut down transit times and costs. He also proposed collaboration on India’s MAITRI digital platform for harmonisation of maritime trade.
“With India’s USD 1 trillion maritime investment roadmap, there is immense potential for joint ventures in green hydrogen hub ports, digitalised port operations and sustainable shipping solutions,” Shri Sonowal added.
India invited Saudi Arabia to explore investment prospects across its port and shipping ecosystem. The Maritime Development Fund, with a corpus of more than USD 3 billion, offers opportunities in port infrastructure, coastal shipping and logistics.
Mega projects such as Vadhavan Port on India’s west coast and the Outer Harbour Project at VO Chidambaranar Port in Tamil Nadu were showcased as key investment destinations.
India also proposed collaboration in shipbuilding and ship repair clusters, including possible cooperation between the Shipping Corporation of India and Saudi companies.
On the multilateral front, Sonowal thanked Saudi Arabia for supporting India’s candidature to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council, Category B, for the 2026–27 biennium.
“Together, we can build future-ready, sustainable, and resilient maritime linkages that will serve as a model of cooperation between our two great nations,” Shri Sonowal said.
Concluding the discussions, both sides agreed to institutionalize cooperation through a Joint Working Group (JWG) on Maritime Cooperation, which will meet regularly to advance collaboration in ports, shipping and logistics.
“The creation of a Joint Working Group is a significant step in taking forward our maritime relations. It reflects our shared vision to strengthen economic linkages, connectivity and sustainability across the maritime domain,” Shri Sonowal said.
The Union Minister also extended an invitation to the Minister of Saudi Arabia for participation in the upcoming India Maritime Week. Saudi Arabia confirmed that a delegation will be attending the event which is scheduled to be held from October 27 to 31 in Mumbai.
