New Delhi is preparing to host the second India-Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on January 31, 2026, with several foreign ministers from Arab countries arriving in the capital. The meeting aims to strengthen cooperation and deepen partnerships between India and the Arab world.
On Thursday, foreign ministers from Comoros, Palestine, and Sudan arrived in New Delhi. Comoros’ Foreign Minister Mabe Mohamed, Palestine’s Foreign Minister Waseem Agabekian Shaheen, and Sudan’s Foreign Minister Mohiuddin Salim Ahmed Ibrahim were welcomed by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, which highlighted the visit as an effort to enhance bilateral ties and people-to-people contact.
The Ministry of External Affairs stated that India is hosting this high-level meeting for the first time, co-chaired by India and the United Arab Emirates. The conference will see participation from all Arab League member states’ foreign ministers, along with the Arab League Secretary-General.
This marks the first India-Arab foreign ministers’ meeting in nearly a decade. The inaugural meeting took place in Bahrain in 2016, where ministers identified five key areas for cooperation: economy, energy, education, media, and culture. They also developed a roadmap for joint activities and projects in these sectors.
India holds the status of an observer in the League of Arab States (LAS), a regional organisation comprising 22 member countries. The upcoming meeting in New Delhi will be the first of its kind hosted on Indian soil, with all 22 Arab nations represented by foreign ministers, other ministers, state ministers, and senior officials.
Prior to the main meeting on January 31, the fourth India-Arab Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) will take place on January 30, setting the agenda for the foreign ministers’ discussions.
The India-Arab foreign ministers’ meetings serve as the highest institutional platform to advance relations. The partnership was formally initiated in March 2002 with a memorandum of understanding between India and the Arab League, establishing a regular dialogue mechanism.
Further cooperation was reinforced in December 2008 during the visit of then Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa to India, when a memorandum was signed to establish the Arab-India Cooperation Forum, later revised in 2013 with structural changes.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed the participation of foreign ministers and senior officials from 20 countries in the 2026 India-Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the fourth Senior Officials Meeting.
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