India in close consultation with Arab countries as West Asian conflict drags on

New Arab ambassadors in India signal fast-paced diplomatic consultations between India and conflict-torn West Asia.

Amidst a flurry of exchanges between Indian and West Asian officials in the recent weeks, two senior Arab diplomats have taken charge of the ambassadorial posts at the Jordan and Egyptian embassies in New Delhi, indicating the fast-paced diplomatic consultations that are taking place between India and the leading powers in the conflict-torn West Asian region.

The arrival of new Jordan Ambassador Yousef Mustafa Ali Abdelghani and new Egyptian Ambassador Kamel Galal is viewed in the diplomatic circle as important, as both Jordan and Egypt are ‘frontline states’ that have a lot at stake in the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon.

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Ambassador Ali Abdelghani and Ambassador Galal are noted for the experience they bring with them that is necessary to maintain India’s relations with the Arab world. While Mr. Galal is noted for his experience of being in charge of the Palestine desk in the Foreign Ministry in Cairo, Mr. Abdelghani is reportedly a former head of the economic department at the Foreign Ministry in Amman and had earlier served in Turkey.

The appointments are significant in the context of the ongoing conflict involving Israel and of the close consultation that India has maintained with regional stakeholders since the beginning of the conflict. Diplomatic sources have informed that India is expected to host an important minister from Cairo soon.

Continuing the regional dialogue, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar hosted Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on November 13, 2024. The two sides discussed the presence of a 2.65 million-strong Indian community that lives in the oil-rich kingdom. Both of them also presided over the second ministerial meeting of the Political, Security, Social, and Cultural Committee (PSSC) of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC). Mr. Jaishankar’s meeting with Minister Al Farhan was followed by his meeting with his counterpart in the UAE, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on November 14, 2024.

Mr. Jaishankar’s interactions with his Saudi Arabia and UAE counterparts came right after Saudi Arabia hosted leaders of Arab and Islamic countries, where the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia demanded an “immediate end” to the Israeli campaign in Gaza and Lebanon and called for the creation of a Palestinian state along the 1967 boundary.