India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held a political dialogue on September 7–8, reviewing the progress of their Joint Action Plan (2024–28) and exploring ways to expand cooperation in trade, security, energy, health, and cultural exchanges.
The Indian delegation, led by Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary (CPV & OIA), held extensive discussions with Abdulaziz Aluwaisheg, GCC Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Negotiations, accompanied by Additional Secretary (Gulf) Aseem R. Mahajan. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening political dialogue, boosting economic ties, and advancing people-to-people connect.
A key highlight of the visit was a separate bilateral meeting between Chatterjee and Raja M. Marzoqi, GCC’s General Coordinator for Negotiations, where both sides stressed the importance of finalizing the India-GCC Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and agreed to begin negotiations at the earliest.
India-GCC relations have grown steadily in recent years, spanning trade, investment, energy, technology, health, and culture. The region is home to nearly 10 million Indians, and bilateral trade stood at around USD 178 billion in FY 2024–25, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
The dialogue also provided an opportunity to exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, with both sides agreeing to enhance high-level exchanges and joint initiatives under the Joint Action Plan.
During his visit, Chatterjee also attended a special reception hosted by the Embassy of India in Saudi Arabia, where he praised the Indian diaspora’s contributions to strengthening bilateral ties and acknowledged their role in the Kingdom’s economic development. He also thanked the Saudi leadership for ensuring the welfare of the Indian community.
