India and Kuwait are set to strengthen their ties in key areas such as defence and trade during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to the Gulf nation, starting Saturday. Here are the top ten updates:

1. Modi will engage in talks with top Kuwaiti leaders, visit an Indian labour camp, address the Indian community, and attend the opening ceremony of the Gulf Cup football tournament. This marks the first visit to Kuwait by an Indian prime minister in 43 years.

2. A day ahead of the prime minister’s trip, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said discussions are underway with Kuwait on a bilateral investment treaty and a defence cooperation pact. At a media briefing, Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary (Overseas Indian Affairs) in the MEA, said a few bilateral documents are expected to be firmed up during the prime minister’s visit.

3. “The historic visit by the prime minister is expected to open a new chapter in India-Kuwait bilateral relations,” he said, adding, “it will not only consolidate the partnership in existing spheres but also unveil new avenues for future cooperation, reinforce our shared values and build a more stronger and dynamic partnership for the future.”

4. Chatterjee mentioned that the visit is also expected to strengthen ties between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The GCC is a significant bloc consisting of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait. In the financial year 2022-23, India’s trade with GCC countries totaled USD 184.46 billion.

5. Kuwait is the current chair of the GCC. Chatterjee said India is holding negotiations with the GCC for a free trade pact. “We hope both sides will be able to conclude it,” he added.

6. Regarding Modi’s planned visit to a labour camp in Kuwait, Chatterjee emphasized that the Indian government places significant importance on the welfare of all Indian workers abroad. “The idea of the visit of the prime minister to the labour camp is to express the amount of importance the government of India attaches to our workers. That is the prime purpose,” he said.

7. In June, more than 45 Indians lost their lives in a fire that broke out in a building housing foreign workers in Mangaf, a locality in southern Kuwait. Prime Minister Modi is visiting Kuwait at the invitation of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. In addition to meeting the Emir, Modi will hold discussions with the Kuwaiti Crown Prince and the Prime Minister.

8. “The visit would help develop a more dynamic partnership between the two countries,” Chatterjee said, adding, “Modi will review with the Kuwaiti leadership the entire spectrum of bilateral ties including in areas of trade, investment, energy, culture and people-to-people contacts.”  “The Kuwaiti Crown Prince will also to host a banquet for Modi,” he added.

9. Bilateral trade between the two nations reached USD 10.47 billion in the financial year 2023-24. Kuwait also serves as India’s sixth-largest supplier of crude oil, fulfilling 3 percent of the country’s energy requirements. Indian exports to Kuwait reached USD 2 billion for the first time, while investments by the Kuwait Investment Authority in India exceed USD 10 billion. India and Kuwait have enjoyed traditionally friendly relations, with links dating back to pre-oil Kuwait, when maritime trade with India was the backbone of its economy.

10. The stage is set for the Hala Modi mega diaspora event, with approximately 5,000 people expected to attend. Binoy Sebastian, a member of the organizing committee for the event, told CNN-News18 the event will witness a lot of cultural events also.

Kuwait’s economy has historically been centred around its prosperous harbour and maritime activities, including shipbuilding, pearl diving, fishing, and voyages to India on wooden dhows. These dhows carried dates, Arabian horses, and pearls and traded for wood, cereals, clothes, and spices, according to those familiar with the two nations’ relationship. The Indian Rupee remained legal tender in Kuwait until 1961, serving as a lasting symbol of the two countries’ deep economic and cultural ties.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries were formally established in 1961, with India initially represented by a trade commissioner. Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jabar Al Sabah visited India privately in July 2017.