Saudi king to push for better ties with India

King Abdullah will be accompanied by strong business and government delegations, including Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi, during the four-day trip starting on Jan. 24, the first by a Saudi monarch in 50 years

The king, who will be in India as part of a four-nation Asian tour that includes China and Pakistan, will be the chief guest at India's annual Republic Day parade on Jan. 26 and hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, among others.

Ties between Saudi Arabia, Islam's birthplace, and India, Asia's third-largest economy and home to a huge Muslim minority, have improved incrementally since the early 1990s.

"Both countries are looking to build on their common area of agreement which has been expanding over the past few years," Mohammad Hamid Ansari, a former Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said.