PM Modi receives Saudi Arabia’s Highest Civilian Honour

Before his departure from Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the highest civilian honour of that country – the ‘King Abdulaziz Sash’. PM Modi is the first Indian to receive this honour.

US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indonesian President Joko Widodo are among the other notable recipients of ‘King Abdulaziz Sash’.

The award was presented to Modi by King Salman bin Abdulaziz at the Royal Court. The award is named after Abdulaziz Al Saud, the founder of the modern Saudi state.

Earlier, King Salman bin Abdulaziz accepted PM Modi’s invitation to pay an official visit to India. The duo held delegation-level talks to strengthen the bilateral ties between both countries. Modi’s Saudi Arabia visit was focused on issues such as trade, investment and terrorism.