India, UAE to Co-Chair 2nd India

India is set to host the second India-Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (IAFMM) in New Delhi on January 31, reviving a high-level diplomatic dialogue with the Arab world after a gap of nearly a decade, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Thursday.

India and the United Arab Emirates will co-chair the meeting, which will bring together foreign ministers and senior representatives from member states of the League of Arab States (LAS), along with the Secretary-General of the Arab League. This forum represents the highest institutional mechanism guiding India’s multifaceted cooperation with the Arab world.

The dialogue traces its roots to March 2002, when India and the League of Arab States (LAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to institutionalise structured engagement. The relationship gained further momentum in December 2008 during a visit to India by then Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa, when both sides established the Arab-India Cooperation Forum through a Memorandum of Cooperation. The framework was revised in 2013 to align with evolving structural needs. India continues to hold Observer status in the 22-member Arab League.

The first edition of the India-Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was held in Bahrain in 2016, where the two sides identified five priority areas for deeper collaboration: economy, energy, education, media, and culture. They also outlined concrete activities across these sectors. Officials expect the upcoming second meeting to build directly on that foundation, review progress, and expand engagement in these and potentially new areas.

This time, India will host the Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New Delhi for the first time. Representatives from all 22 Arab League member countries are expected to participate, at the level of foreign ministers, ministers of state, or senior officials. To prepare the ground, the fourth India-Arab Senior Officials’ Meeting is scheduled to take place a day earlier, on January 30.

Preparations are already underway, with several visiting dignitaries having arrived in the capital.Welcoming the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Sudan, H.E. Mohieldin Salim Ahmed Ibrahim, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X: “Delighted to welcome H.E. Mohieldin Salim Ahmed Ibrahim for the second India-Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. The visit will further strengthen people-to-people ties between India and Sudan.”

In another message, he extended greetings to the Palestinian delegation: “Warm welcome to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine, H.E. @VarsenAghShahin, as she arrives in India to participate in the 2nd India Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. The visit reaffirms India’s partnership with the people of Palestine and the Arab world.”

The meeting is widely seen as an important opportunity to reinforce India’s longstanding ties with the Arab region, deepen strategic partnerships, and advance cooperation across economic, developmental, and cultural domains.