India and Arab countries cooperate in energy security and technology

Yet such framing, while accurate, understates the true depth of this engagement. Long before modern nation-states, oil economics, or global summits, the relationship between the Indian subcontinent and the Arab countries was shaped by centuries of maritime trade, cultural exchange, and human movement across the Indian Ocean.

As the world transitions toward multipolarity, India’s growing global stature and the Arab countries’ economic and strategic recalibration have created a convergence that goes beyond symbolism.

Within this broader India–Arab framework, Saudi Arabia occupies a particularly significant position, given its economic scale, energy influence, and ambitious transformation under Vision 2030. The partnership is increasingly driven by shared interests in energy security, technology, infrastructure, and regional stability.

A Relationship Anchored in History, Reinforced by Strategy

Trade between India and the Arab countries dates back over two millennia, facilitated by monsoon winds and maritime routes linking Indian ports such as Calicut, Surat, and Cambay with Arab centers including Muscat, Aden, and Jeddah.

These exchanges were not confined to goods such as spices, textiles, and precious metals; they also carried ideas, languages, religious thought, and cultural practices. This long history of interaction fostered a familiarity that laid the groundwork for trust—an asset modern diplomacy continues to draw upon.

In contemporary times, these historical ties have evolved into some of India’s most consequential partnerships in West Asia and North Africa. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as a bloc is among India’s largest trading partners and a critical source of energy imports. Millions of Indians live and work across the Arab countries, forming a vital human bridge that underpins economic and social ties.

Within this broader engagement, Saudi Arabia is among India’s largest trading partners in the Arab region and one of its most important energy suppliers. Bilateral trade between India and Saudi Arabia has exceeded USD 50 billion in recent years, with energy imports forming a substantial share.

At the same time, India has emerged as a reliable market and strategic partner for Saudi investments in refining, petrochemicals, infrastructure, logistics, and emerging industries.

High-level political engagement—including visits by Indian Prime Ministers and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman—has elevated ties through institutional mechanisms such as the Strategic Partnership Council. This reflects a shift from transactional diplomacy to long-term strategic coordination, even as India deepens parallel engagements with the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Egypt, and other Arab states.

India’s expanding relevance across the Arab countries is closely linked to its broader rise on the global stage. With a population exceeding 1.4 billion, India represents one of the world’s largest consumer markets and talent pools. Its economy has crossed the USD 4 trillion mark in nominal terms, placing it among the top global economies, with projections pointing toward further ascent if current growth trajectories hold.

What distinguishes India is not only scale, but momentum. Economic growth rates around 7 percent continue to outpace most major economies, driven by domestic demand, infrastructure investment, digitalization, and a rapidly expanding services sector. For Arab policymakers and investors, this momentum has reshaped perceptions of India—from a traditional trade partner to a long-term strategic opportunity.

India’s technology ecosystem has become a key pillar of this appeal. With over 100,000 startups, millions of software professionals, and globally recognized digital public infrastructure platforms such as Aadhaar, UPI, and DigiLocker, India offers scalable models of inclusive digital governance. These capabilities align closely with the ambitions of several Arab states seeking economic diversification.

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, in particular, finds strong complementarities with India’s strengths in IT services, fintech, smart infrastructure, health technology, and digital public systems. Similar alignments are visible with the UAE’s digital economy initiatives and broader Arab efforts to build knowledge-based economies.

Convergence in a Changing Global

As traditional power centers recalibrate and global supply chains diversify, both India and key Arab states are positioning themselves as stabilizing and adaptive actors in their respective regions. Shared concerns around energy security, food security, maritime stability, and resilient trade corridors are increasingly prominent.

Saudi Arabia’s efforts to diversify away from oil dependency intersect naturally with India’s need for reliable energy supplies, long-term investments, and access to capital. At the same time, other Arab states—such as the UAE, Qatar, and Oman—have deepened cooperation with India in ports, logistics, renewable energy, defense manufacturing, space collaboration, and food security.

Indian companies are increasingly active across Arab infrastructure and technology projects, while Arab sovereign wealth funds and private investors are expanding their footprint in Indian startups, energy ventures, and strategic assets. This convergence reflects a pragmatic understanding: in an era of uncertainty, economic resilience and strategic flexibility matter more than rigid ideological alignment.

India–Arab relations are entering a phase defined not only by historical familiarity, but by shared opportunity. As India consolidates its position as a global economic and technological force, and Arab states—particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—accelerate their transition toward diversified, future-ready economies, the partnership is gaining strategic depth and global relevance.

The moment calls for confidence without complacency, ambition grounded in realism, and pride without denial. India is no longer merely responding to global shifts; it is helping shape them.