Prime Minister Narendra Modi's short visit to Saudi Arabia from April 22 to 23, 2025, has raised fresh questions about the cost. The 12-hour trip cost Rs 15.54 crore, of which Rs 10.26 crore was spent on hotel accommodation alone. The visit turned out to be the second most expensive foreign trip of 2025, sparking debates on transparency and use of government resources. Details of the incident Modi's visit was originally intended to be two days, but he returned on the night of April 22 after receiving news of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Modi, who left for Jeddah at 9:30 am, returned to Delhi at 7 am on April 23, meaning he spent just over 12 hours in Saudi Arabia. During this time, he met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and discussed the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), while four important agreements were also signed. The Indian Consulate in Jeddah released the details of the expenses on the request of RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose. Out of the total Rs 15,54,03,792.47, Rs 10,26,39,658 was spent on hotel charges, Rs 4,05,79,930 on transport, and Rs 1,21,86,202 on other expenses, details of which were provided. Not. Surprisingly, the host country usually arranges for accommodation and food during official visits, but this time the Indian government paid this huge amount, which led to criticism in public circles. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Modi visited 16 countries till July 2025, of which the expenses were disclosed for five. These include a four-day visit to France (Rs 25.59 crore), a one-day visit to the US (Rs 16.54 crore), Thailand (Rs 4.92 crore), and a three-day visit to Sri Lanka (Rs 4.46 crore). The Saudi visit proved to be the most expensive, costing an average of Rs 1.29 crore per hour. In comparison, the average expenditure per visit on 73 foreign visits of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh between 2004-2014 was between Rs 5 and 10 crore, such as Russia in 2013 (Rs 5.19 crore) and France in 2011 (Rs 8.33 crore). Modi's 48 visits from 2014-2018 cost Rs 2,021 crore, an average of Rs 42 crore per visit. The opposition termed it a "misuse of public funds" and said that spending such a huge amount was unacceptable when the country was going through economic challenges. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the expenditure was "public tax money". 'A waste of money'. The BJP defended the visit saying it was necessary to strengthen the strategic partnership. 'Government resources are the trust of the people, they should be used with transparency and accountability.' — RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose References The Wire, Hindustan Times, India Today, The Hindu, News18, X-Post