Delhi to host key Arab states meet on Saturday

India is set to host a landmark gathering of Arab foreign ministers in New Delhi on 31 January 2026, as the second India-Arab Foreign Ministers' Meeting convenes after a decade-long hiatus.

The event will bring together representatives from all 22 member states of the League of Arab States (LAS), along with Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit. It follows preparatory talks at the fourth India-Arab Senior Officials' Meeting on 30 January at Bharat Mandapam. EAM Dr S Jaishankar will chair the meeting on saturday. Before the meetings, the visiting foreign ministers will jointly call on PM Modi.

The revival of this high-level dialogue underscores the deepening strategic ties between India and the Arab world, rooted in centuries of trade, cultural exchange and scholarly interaction across the Arabian Sea.

Formal institutional links date back to a 2002 Memorandum of Understanding that established regular dialogue, followed by the creation of the Arab-India Cooperation Forum in 2008 (revised in 2013). India holds observer status at the LAS, with its ambassador in Cairo serving as permanent representative.

The inaugural meeting took place in Manama, Bahrain, in January 2016, where participants adopted the Manama Declaration and an Executive Programme focusing on five key areas: economy, education, energy, media and culture. Biennial ministerial meetings and annual senior officials' gatherings were agreed upon, though implementation has been uneven.

Recent progress includes the sixth India-Arab Partnership Conference for business leaders in New Delhi in 2023, with the seventh planned on the Arab side. In education, the first India-Arab Universities' Presidents' Conference was held in February 2025, addressing higher education, skill development, AI, quantum computing, biotechnology and student exchanges. The second is scheduled for Ajman early in 2026.

Energy cooperation features the inaugural Arab-India Energy Forum in 2021. Media and cultural exchanges have seen symposiums and festivals, with further events planned. Economically, bilateral trade exceeds $240bn (£190bn), with hydrocarbon imports dominating, India sources nearly half its crude oil, 60% of LNG and over 95% of LPG from Arab states. Indian investments span energy and infrastructure across the region, while more than nine million Indian diaspora members contribute significantly to Gulf economies.

The meeting arrives amid regional turbulence, including ongoing conflicts in West Asia. The Arab League has expressed solidarity with India following terror attacks, notably condemning the April 2025 Pahalgam incident and welcoming Indian delegations. Officials expect discussions to cover trade, energy security, education, counter-terrorism and regional stability, reinforcing India’s role as a reliable partner in an extended neighbourhood.