After a ten-year gap, the India-Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (IAFMM) is all set to resume on Saturday, January 31, marking a major milestone in India’s ties with the Arab world. The second edition of the foreign ministers’ meeting will be jointly hosted by India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and will see the attendance of foreign ministers from member states of the Arab League, as well as the Secretary General of the Arab League.
A platform revived after ten years
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the meeting is being organised after a gap of a decade, with the first IAFMM meeting taking place in Bahrain in 2016. The first meeting had shortlisted five areas of cooperation: economy, energy, education, media, and culture.
The India-Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting is the highest institutional mechanism that guides this partnership. It was formally established in March 2002 through a memorandum of understanding signed between India and the League of Arab States. India is currently an observer in the 22-member organisation.
What to expect from the second IAFMM meeting?
According to a report by the Hindustan Times, the second IAFMM is expected to further enhance the understanding achieved in the past and focus on the development of India-Arab cooperation. The meeting is the key institutional mechanism that shapes the relationship between India and the League of Arab States, which was established through a memorandum of understanding in 2002. India is currently an observer in the 22-member organisation.
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This will be the first time that India is hosting the meeting in New Delhi, and all 22 Arab countries are expected to be represented by their ministers and senior officials. The meeting comes after the fourth India-Arab Senior Officials’ Meeting, which was held on January 30, 2026.
Why the meeting matters now
As per the Hindustan Times report, about 15 Arab foreign ministers are expected to attend, according to sources familiar with the matter. Among them is expected to be Syria’s foreign minister Asaad Hasan al-Shaybani, who, if confirmed, will be the first ministerial-level meeting between New Delhi and Damascus since the government under Ahmed al-Sharaa assumed the leadership.
The timing is also significant in the wake of changing dynamics in the region, such as the rift between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over Yemen, and the ever-changing alliances of Pakistan, Turkiye, and Israel.
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Palestine’s expectations
The Palestinian foreign minister, Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, called the meeting an important platform to address major issues, including the situation in Palestine. “This is an important forum because it brings India and the Arab countries together, where there will be discussion on areas of interest, one of which would be the situation in Palestine. India is an important player, and we believe that several aspects of that conflict, alongside other important issues, will be discussed around the table," Shahin told ANI.
He further added, “I think India is placed to venture into a role that brings both sides together because it's a friend of Israel, and it's a friend of the Palestinian,s and it's a believer in international law. That stance is important for moving things in the right direction... Israel is legitimate. It has been recognised by the state of Palestine. Today I want to legitimise Palestine, and India can help in that direction.”
