Context
The article analyses India’s move to deepen defence cooperation with Gulf countries—especially the UAE—while cautioning against regional rivalries, instability, and the need to balance India’s strategic, energy, and diaspora interests.
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
• What it is: A regional political and economic bloc formed in 1981.
• Members (6): Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain.
• Objectives: Security cooperation, economic integration, energy coordination, and regional stability.
Importance for India
• Major energy suppliers (oil & LNG)
• Home to ~9–10 million Indian diaspora
• Key partners for trade, investment, connectivity, and maritime security
• Strategic relevance: Internal rivalries and West Asian conflicts make India’s engagement with the GCC a careful balancing act (strategic autonomy).
