Defence Minister A.K. Antony will embark on a two visit to Saudi Arabia today. This will be the first ever visit by an Indian Defence Minister to the Saudi Kingdom.

He will be accompanied by a high level delegation comprising the three Deputy Chiefs of Army, Air Force and Navy. Mr. Antony will hold discussions with Saudi Defence Minister Prince Salman-bin-Abdul Aziz Al-Saud in Riyadh besides meeting other senior government and political leaders. He will also interact with the representatives of Indian community in Saudi Arabia.

In the wake of recent developments in the region, the two countries will be looking forward to further expand cooperation in defence, trade and regional affairs.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Saudi Arabia last year. The relations between India and Saudi Arabia have grown up considerably over the years with the cooperation in regional affairs and trade.

Saudi Arabia is one of the largest suppliers of oil to India, which is one of the top trading partners and investor there. The visit is expected to give a boost to the defence ties and mutual understanding between the two countries.