External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar meets UAE Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Thursday (November 14, 2024).
| Photo Credit: ANI

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.

Dialogue with Saudi, UAE

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.

During the G20 Summit in New Delhi last year, the Saudi Crown Prince participated in the launch of the IMEC (India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor) that was going to include the Israeli port of Haifa. Officials are tightlipped about the fate of IMEC, but it is evident that the prolonged Israeli campaign in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli attacks in Lebanon have posed a question mark on the initiative.

Former diplomat Dr. Zikrur Rahman, who served as the Indian envoy to Palestine, pointed out that Saudi Arabia has never formally engaged with Israel and is unlikely to do so under the given circumstances.

“Until and unless the Palestinian issue is resolved, there is no question of Saudi Arabia opening any diplomatic linkages with Israel because it is very important to Saudi Arabia to see that its principled stand on a two-state solution, which was championed by King Abdullah, is implemented, leading to the creation of a Palestinian state, and a formula on the return of Palestinian refugees is agreed upon,” Dr. Rahman said.