Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on atwo-day visit to Saudi Arabia on Monday with an aim to boost bilateral ties between the two countries in key sectors including energy and finance. PM Modi is paying a visit to the Kingdom at the invitation of Saudi King Salman BinAbdulaziz Al Saud.

The Prime Minister will hold talks with Saudi Crown PrinceMohammed Bin Salman and launch the RuPay card in the country during the two-dayvisit. He will also attend the third session of the Future InvestmentInitiative (FII) Forum in Riyadh, where he will deliver the keynote address.The Prime Minister will arrive in Riyadh on Monday night. A few Saudi ministersare slated to meet the visiting dignitary, the following day.

PM Modi is also scheduled to address the FII plenary sessionon Tuesday. He will leave for New Delhi on the same night. The FII is alsoknown as the `Davos in the Desert` which has been hosted by Riyadh since 2017to project the Kingdom as a potential investment hub in the region. "Therewill also be a bilateral segment to his visit where Prime Minister Modi willmeet Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, and holdbilateral talks with him," TS Tirumurti, Secretary (Economic Affairs),Ministry of External Affairs, had told reporters on Thursday.

"An agreement on the Strategic Partnership Council willalso be signed. There will also be separate delegation-level talks with theCrown Prince of Saudi Arabia," he added. The two countries are expected tohold joint naval exercises in December. PM Modi`s visit to Saudi Arabia comesamid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following New Delhi`sdecision to revoke Article 370 that granted special powers to Jammu and Kashmir

Islamabad has unilaterally downgraded bilateral ties and hasbeen attempting to internationalise the Kashmir issue but to no avail. Pakistanon Sunday turned down a request from India for the use of its airspace forModi`s visit to Saudi Arabia. According to media reports, India had soughtPakistan`s permission to use the country`s airspace on October 28 for PM Modi.

New Delhi has taken the matter of Islamabad`s move to denypermission to the Prime Minister`s special flight to use its airspace, to theInternational Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), sources in the governmenthave said. According to the sources, overflight clearances are sought andgranted by other countries as prescribed by the ICAO guidelines.

"Overflight clearances are sought and granted by othercountries as per the prescribed guidelines of the ICAO. India will continue toseek such overflight clearances. We have taken up the matter of such denialwith the civil aviation body," said the sources. "Pakistan shouldreflect upon its decision to deviate from well-established internationalpractice, as well as reconsider its old habit of misrepresenting the reasonsfor taking unilateral action," added the sources.

The sources further said, "We regret the decision ofthe Government of Pakistan to yet again deny the overflight clearance for VVIPspecial flight, which is otherwise granted routinely by any normalcountry." Pakistan had earlier also denied PM Modi access to its air spacefor his visit to the US to attend the 74th UN General Assembly session inSeptember. Prior to this, President Ram Nath Kovind was also denied permissionto use Pakistan`s airspace for his official visit to Europe.