India and West Asia: energy, workers and a changing Gulf

West Asia, often called the Middle East, is central to India's energy security, trade and diaspora. The region supplies a large share of India's crude oil and liquefied natural gas imports, and Gulf countries host millions of Indian workers, whose remittances support households across India, particularly in Kerala and other coastal and southern states. India's relationships in the region therefore combine foreign policy with the welfare of citizens abroad, including evacuation operations when conflict erupts.

India's approach has been to maintain relations with all major actors in the region, including Israel, Palestine, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, rather than aligning exclusively with one side. India recognised Israel in 1950 and established full diplomatic relations in 1992, while continuing to support a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. Relations with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have deepened through strategic partnership agreements, defence cooperation, investment and energy deals, including long-term supply arrangements.

The Abraham Accords of 2020, under which the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain normalised relations with Israel, changed the region's diplomacy and created new possibilities for cooperation, including through the I2U2 grouping of India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, which focuses on food security, water, energy, transport and space. India has also sought connectivity through the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, announced in 2023, linking India with the Gulf and Europe by sea and rail, although its implementation depends on regional stability.

West Asia tests India's ability to balance competing interests: energy imports, worker welfare, defence ties, and positions on conflicts in which partners disagree. A policy that works for one relationship may strain another, and the test of the approach is whether India can protect its citizens abroad, secure energy supplies at affordable prices, and maintain credibility with all sides at once.