India hosts Arab foreign ministers’ meet on January 31, second in its history, signalling major power play
India will host the second India–Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on January 31, 2026, marking only the second such gathering in the history of India’s engagement with the Arab world and underscoring New Delhi’s expanding strategic footprint in West Asia and North Africa.
The meeting in New Delhi brings together foreign ministers and senior representatives from Arab countries, along with officials of the League of Arab States. It follows the inaugural India–Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in 2023 and reflects the steady institutionalisation of dialogue between India and the Arab bloc.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met visiting foreign ministers from different Arab nations on Friday, holding bilateral discussions alongside the multilateral engagement.
Diplomatic sources say the timing and scale of the meeting signal a calibrated power play by India as it seeks to deepen political, economic and strategic engagement with the Arab world amid evolving regional and global equations. Discussions are expected to focus on regional security, developments in West Asia, trade and investment, energy cooperation, food security, connectivity, and people-to-people ties.
India’s hosting of the meeting also highlights its intent to position itself as a key interlocutor between the Global South and the Arab world, leveraging long-standing civilisational links, a large Indian diaspora in the region, and expanding economic partnerships.
