Oman visit caps India’s Gulf diplomacy amid regional tensions

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is in Muscat, the final stop of his four-nation Gulf tour that also covered Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

Jaishankar was received by Sheikh Ahmed Al Maskari, the director general at Oman’s Foreign Ministry. The two leaders are expected to hold talks around deepening the bilateral engagement between the two countries.

On Wednesday, the Indian foreign minister met the top leadership of Kuwait to discuss the India-Kuwait Strategic Partnership spanning defense, energy, trade, investments, and regional security.

He also called on Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah, Defence Minister Sheikh Abdullah Ali and Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad. India and Kuwait elevated relations to ‘Strategic Partnership’ during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Kuwait in December 2025.

Why it matters: The Oman visit is part of New Delhi’s broader diplomatic outreach to deepen engagement with Gulf partners. While the visits have not yielded any new agreements, it signals India’s intent to maintain close political relations with Gulf partners amid regional hostilities.

The numbers: India’s economic linkages have strengthened with the Gulf Cooperation Council over the last few years with bilateral trade reaching USD 178.5 bn in FY 2025, accounting for 15.4% of India’s total global trade.