- The visits come amid India’s broader West Asia strategy, which seeks enhanced engagement with Israel and Gulf Arab states while reiterating support for the Palestinian cause
- Earlier this year, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar attended the first India-GCC Joint Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue in Riyadh
- In January 2025, Delhi is expected to host the India-GCC ministerial meet, signaling India’s commitment to deeper regional partnerships
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Oman and Jordan later this month, reflecting New Delhi’s growing focus on strengthening its strategic and economic engagement with West Asia. The mid-December visits will mark PM Modi’s second trip to Oman and his first full-fledged bilateral visit to Jordan since taking office in 2014, although he briefly transited through Amman in February 2018 during his official visit to Palestine.
In Muscat, the talks are expected to focus on advancing the long-awaited India-Oman Free Trade Agreement. Earlier this year, the two nations concluded negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), paving the way for deeper economic integration.
- Oman, a key Indian Ocean neighbor, has become one of India’s closest partners in the Gulf
- The countries maintain strong strategic ties, including joint military exercises, while Sultan Haitham bin Tariq’s state visit to New Delhi in December 2023—the first by an Omani ruler in over 20 years—underscored the depth of their relationship
Bilateral relations are further strengthened by historic people-to-people connections. Over 676,000 Indians reside in Oman, with some families tracing their presence back centuries. Trade between the two nations reached around $12 billion in the last financial year, with India exporting machinery, petroleum products, and food items, and importing crude oil and LPG from Oman.
PM Modi’s visit to Jordan will see him meet King Abdullah II for discussions on trade, investment, and regional security. In recent years, India and Jordan have steadily expanded economic cooperation, with bilateral trade reaching $2.875 billion in 2023-24. India is Jordan’s fourth-largest trading partner, and Indian investments of about $1.5 billion have flowed into the country’s phosphate and textile sectors. There is potential for further collaboration in fertilizers, IT, and pharmaceuticals. King Abdullah II last visited India in early 2018.
