GCC – India Relations

• India-GCC countries built on historical relationship, growing trade and investment, and presence of an 8.5 million Indians in the region.

• For India, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as a collective entity is of utmost importance. The Gulf constitutes the “immediate” neighbourhood of India separated only by the Arabian Sea. India has a significant interest in the stability, security, and economic prosperity of the Gulf. The GCC nations' efforts to integrate their economies are progressing quickly. India now has a significant trading relationship with the GCC. It has enormous potential to be India's long-term investment partner.

• The strategic cooperation can be seen in the light of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the General Secretariat of the GCC and the Republic of India in September 2022, the framework agreement signed between the GCC and India in August 2004, and the desire of the two sides to enhance the strategic political and security dialogue, as well as economic and cultural cooperation and communication between the peoples.

• From a strategic point of view, India and GCC share the goal of political stability and security in the region. The common political and security concerns of India and GCC include cross-border terrorism in the Gulf region and South Asia. The emerging common security perceptions create further opportunities for GCC-India cooperation in the future.