Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his two-day historic visit to Kuwait, received a ceremonial guard of honour at the Bayan Palace on Sunday before holding discussions with Kuwait's top leadership. Kuwait's Amir, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, also awarded him the country's highest honour, "The Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer."

Kuwait has a knighthood order called the Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer. As a token of friendship, the order had previously been given to heads of state, foreign sovereigns and members of foreign royal families, such as George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Prince Charles. This marks PM Modi's twentieth international honour from a nation. The first Indian prime minister to visit Kuwait in forty-three years, Narendra Modi arrived on Saturday for a two-day visit. In 1981, Indira Gandhi became the last Indian prime minister to travel to Kuwait. He is in Kuwait at the invitation of Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait.

After receiving a grand welcome, PM Modi held detailed talks with the Amir, Crown Prince Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, and his Kuwaiti counterpart. During these discussions, India and Kuwait agreed to strengthen their relationship by elevating ties to a strategic partnership. The leaders focused on enhancing cooperation in areas such as information technology, pharmaceuticals, fintech, infrastructure, and security. PM Modi called his meeting with the Emir "excellent" in a post on 'X'. "Excellent meeting with His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah. We discussed cooperation in key sectors like pharmaceuticals, IT, FinTech, Infrastructure and security," he said.

"In line with the close ties between our nations, we have elevated our partnership to a strategic one and I am optimistic that our friendship will flourish even more in the times to come," he added. Prime Minister Modi met Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal mentioned that their discussion focused on strengthening India-Kuwait relations and taking them to "new heights." He asserted that “PM Modi expressed his gratitude to the Emir for the welfare of the Indian community in Kuwait.” 

Kuwait is an important trade partner for India, with bilateral trade reaching USD 10.47 billion in the financial year 2023-24. It is the sixth-largest supplier of crude oil to India, fulfilling 3% of the country’s energy requirements. Indian exports to Kuwait crossed USD 2 billion for the first time, while investments from the Kuwait Investment Authority in India surpassed USD 10 billion. Prime Minister Modi previously emphasised the diverse ties between Kuwait and India on X. "India and Kuwait share multifaceted ties rooted in history, culture and mutual respect. Our strong relations extend across energy, trade and investments. We also have a vibrant Indian diaspora strengthening the friendship further," he wrote.

The prime minister also encouraged the Indian community in Kuwait to continue contributing to India's growth during his remarks at the "Hala Modi" event. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met a 101-year-old retired Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer in Kuwait after the officer's granddaughter requested it on the social media platform X. A few hours before his scheduled arrival in Kuwait, PM Modi replied to a message on social media platform X from the granddaughter of Mangal Sain Handa, who requested him to meet her grandfather. "Humble request to Hon'ble PM @narendramodi to meet my 101-year-old Nanaji, ex-IFS officer, in Kuwait during tomorrow's interaction with the Indian Diaspora. Nana @MangalSainHanda is a great admirer of yours," she said in a post on X. PM Modi visited the former IFS officer and other Indian diaspora members after his arrival to Kuwait. Mangal Sain Handa's son, Dilip Handa, told ANI, “This is an experience of a lifetime. PM Modi said he especially came here to meet him (my father). We are grateful to Prime Minister Modi.”

PM Modi’s two-day visit to Kuwait was truly historic. In a departure from the protocol, as a special gesture, the Prime Minister of Kuwait, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah came to airport to a see-off to PM Modi at the airport on Sunday night. "I'm grateful, Kuwait! Our bilateral relations will be significantly improved by this historic visit. I express my gratitude to the Kuwaiti government and people for their hospitality. Just before he left, PM Modi wrote on X, "I also thank the PM of Kuwait for the special gesture of coming to the airport for the see-off."