1st India GCC Joint Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue Held

The first India -GCC(Gulf Cooperation Council) Joint Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue was on 9 September 2024 in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian capital.

This was the first Foreign Minister level meeting between India and the six-member GCC.

Who Chaired the India -GCC meeting 

The first India-GCC Joint Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue was co-chaired by Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar. 

Qatar holds the Presidency of the GCC.

All the foreign ministers of the GCC member countries and the GCC's Secretary General, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, attended the meeting.

Joint Action Plan 2024-28

At the India-GCC meeting, a Joint Action Plan 2024-2028 was adopted to initiate joint ventures in health, trade, security, agriculture and food security, transportation, energy, culture, etc.

India -GCC relationships 

The Gulf Cooperation Council is a regional group that includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Around 89 lakh Indians work and live in these countries.

The area has one of the world's richest reserves of oil and gas. The GCC countries are a major source of oil and gas for India and vital to India’s energy security.

During 2023-24, the India-GCC trade was USD 161.59 billion. 

India’s exports were USD 56.3 billion, and imports were USD 105.3 billion.

About the Gulf Cooperation Council

The Gulf Cooperation Council was formed in May 1981 as a political and economic alliance of six Islamic Arab countries -Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Presidency of the GCC rotates annually amongst the member countries.

Headquarters: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Presidency: Qatar