The rapid transformation of ties between India and the Gulf states has become one of the most consequential, yet underappreciated, developments in global geopolitics. What was once a relationship defined narrowly by the exchange of oil and labor has blossomed into a multidimensional partnership spanning technology, logistics, finance, energy, and security. Today, India and the Gulf are not merely strengthening bilateral ties; they are actively constructing a new geoeconomic architecture that could redirect global trade flows and reshape the contours of a multipolar world.

This profound shift was on full display at the recent Middle East Investment Forum in Sharjah, where policymakers and business leaders signaled a bold, coordinated vision for the future. As US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Indian exports have eroded India’s traditional competitiveness in American markets, the United Arab Emirates has emerged as a strategic gateway for Indian firms seeking to maintain their foothold. This dynamic alone illustrates how economic realignments catalyze political ones: the Gulf is no longer just a destination for Indian workers-it is becoming India’s bridge to the world.

India’s relationship with the Gulf states is not new; it is ancient. Centuries before modern nation-states existed, merchant ships and caravans carried spices, textiles, pearls, and incense across the Indian Ocean, forging lasting cultural and commercial bonds. These exchanges were so foundational that even under the British Raj, significant parts of the Gulf were administered from colonial centers in India.

Yet after India gained independence, the relationship narrowed into a transactional arrangement. Oil flowed from the Gulf to India, while millions of Indian workers journeyed in the opposite direction to power the Gulf’s........

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