India has reassessed its free trade agreement negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), following extensive discussions in Riyadh between the country’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Vipul, and the bloc’s secretary general, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi.
The meeting was held on Sunday, during which the two sides explored measures to enhance India-GCC ties, shared perspectives on regional and global developments, and assessed preparations for a ministerial gathering set for next month, according to a statement from the GCC Secretariat.
The meeting is particularly important as India and the GCC restarted negotiations in February on a comprehensive trade agreement intended to enhance bilateral trade and investment, despite the discussions being briefly halted in June due to the West Asia crisis.
The GCC, formed in 1981 as a political, economic, and security alliance, consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
According to the GCC statement, during Sunday’s meeting India and the GCC also underscored the need for ongoing coordination and consultations on shared concerns in order to help promote regional security and stability.
“Both discussed India-GCC cooperation, including FTA negotiations and strengthening high-level engagements. They also exchanged views on regional and global developments of mutual interest,” the Indian Embassy in Riyadh said in a post on X.
The GCC is India's largest trading partner bloc, with bilateral trade reaching USD 178.56 billion in 2024-25, accounting for 15.42 per cent of India's global trade, according to official data. India's exports to the GCC stood at about USD 56.87 billion during the period, while imports were valued at USD 121.68 billion.
Key Indian exports include engineering goods, rice, textiles, machinery, gems and jewellery, while imports are dominated by crude oil, LNG, petrochemicals and gold.
The GCC countries are also a major source of investment for India, with cumulative investments exceeding USD 31.14 billion as of September 2025. The region, a major source of remittances, is home to nearly 10 million members of the Indian community.
The latest negotiations mark a resumption of talks that were held in 2006 and 2008, before the GCC deferred discussions on free trade agreements with countries and economic groupings.
Meanwhile, India has already implemented a trade pact with the UAE and signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with Oman.
