New Delhi:
India’s expanding engagement with the Arab world is set to gain fresh momentum as New Delhi hosts a high-level India–Arab meeting on Saturday, reflecting the growing strategic, economic and political convergence between the two sides.
Formal institutional ties between India and Arab nations date back to 2002, when a Memorandum of Understanding established a structured dialogue mechanism. This cooperation was further strengthened with the launch of the Arab-India Cooperation Forum in 2008, later revised in 2013 to align with emerging regional and global priorities.
India currently holds observer status at the League of Arab States, with its ambassador in Cairo serving as permanent representative. These arrangements have enabled sustained engagement on political coordination, trade, energy security and people-to-people ties.
The upcoming meeting in New Delhi comes amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty in West Asia and is expected to focus on reinforcing cooperation across multiple sectors, including trade, energy, education, counter-terrorism and regional stability.
The partnership’s ministerial framework was formally launched at its inaugural meeting in Manama, Bahrain, in January 2016, where participants adopted the Manama Declaration and an Executive Programme identifying five priority areas—economy, education, energy, media and culture. While biennial ministerial meetings and annual senior officials’ consultations were agreed upon, officials acknowledge that progress has varied across sectors.
Recent years have seen renewed momentum. The sixth India–Arab Partnership Conference for business leaders was held in New Delhi in 2023, boosting private-sector engagement, with the next edition expected to be hosted by an Arab country. Academic collaboration has also expanded, with the first India–Arab Universities’ Presidents’ Conference held in February 2025, focusing on higher education reform, skill development, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology and student exchanges. The second conference is scheduled to take place in Ajman in early 2026.
Energy remains a cornerstone of India–Arab relations. The inaugural Arab–India Energy Forum in 2021 institutionalised dialogue on energy security and transition. Bilateral trade between India and Arab countries has crossed $240 billion, driven largely by hydrocarbon imports. India sources nearly half of its crude oil, about 60 per cent of its LNG and over 95 per cent of its LPG from Arab states.
Indian investments span energy, infrastructure and services across the region, while more than nine million Indians living in Arab countries continue to contribute significantly to regional economies.
Diplomatic sources said Saturday’s meeting in Delhi is expected to reinforce India’s position as a stable and reliable partner in the Arab world, with discussions likely to emphasise long-term economic cooperation, security coordination and shared regional interests.
