India to launch RuPay card in Saudi Arabia

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday announced that India will launch RuPay card in Saudi Arabia during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the country to help the Indian pilgrims visiting Mecca Madina.

With this, Saudi Arabia would become the third country in the Gulf region to get the RuPay card facility after the UAE and Bahrain.

MEA, in its weekly media briefing, also announced that a joint India-Saudi Arabia naval exercises will be held in December 2019.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to visit Saudi Arabia on October 29, where he will hold a bilateral meeting with Saudi Arabia King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in Riyadh.

Besides, he will also attend the third session of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Forum on the same day, where the Prime Minister will deliver the keynote address.

He is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.

"An agreement on the Strategic Partnership Council will also be signed. There will also be separate delegation-level talks with the Crown prince of Saudi Arabia," MEA's TS Tirumurti said in a press conference.

The MEA spokesperson said Prime Minister will reach Riyadh late night on October 28 and the next day, a few Saudi ministers will call on him.

Later the next day, Prime Minister will address the FII plenary session. Prime Minister Modi will leave for Delhi the same night, the MEA spokesperson said.