The landmark visit of Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, has received widespread coverage in the Indian media over the last few days, with most news outlets highlighting the strategic economic and political ties between the two countries.

The crown prince is currently on a four-nation tour that has taken him to Pakistan and Japan. He will arrive in India on Wednesday for a three-day visit.

The Zee News channel reported that the visit was politically important and highlighted the historic 2006 tour of India by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.

The channel said Saudi Arabia was India's fourth largest trading partner with total volume of trade worth $43 billion.

The IBN Live news outlet said the Kingdom and India signed several strategic agreements in 2010, and that the crown prince would meet with Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Vice President Hamid Ansari.

A spokesman from the Indian Foreign Ministry said Saudi Arabia was the largest oil supplier to India, accounting for a fifth of its total oil imports.

The spokesman said Saudi Arabia currently has 2.8 million Indians working in the country, its largest expatriate community.