Union External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar met with Oman's Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi in Manila on Thursday, 24 July 2026, on the sidelines of a multilateral gathering, exchanging views on recent developments in the Gulf region and agreeing to remain in close contact.

Context

Dr. Jaishankar described the meeting as productive, stating on X that the two ministers 'exchanged perspectives on the recent developments in the Gulf region' and 'agreed to remain in touch.' The meeting in Manila underscores India's practice of conducting bilateral consultations on the margins of multilateral forums to advance its regional diplomatic agenda.

Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi is Oman's principal diplomat, responsible for the Sultanate's external relations and its active role in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) diplomacy. Oman has long been regarded by New Delhi as a reliable and discreet interlocutor in West Asia, owing to its tradition of maintaining open channels with a broad range of regional actors.

Policy Backdrop

India and Oman share a multi-layered strategic partnership anchored in defence, trade, energy and people-to-people ties. A Defence Cooperation Agreement, first signed in 2006 and renewed periodically, provides the formal framework for bilateral security collaboration, including Indian naval visits and joint maritime exercises that have continued since the early 2000s.

The Gulf region holds outsized importance for India as the primary source of its energy imports and home to a large Indian diaspora community whose remittances form a significant part of the national economy. Any instability in the region therefore carries direct economic and humanitarian implications for New Delhi.

Stakeholders and Impact

The Indian diaspora in the Gulf — numbering in the millions — represents one of the most immediate stakeholder groups watching India-Oman diplomatic engagement. Their welfare, employment prospects and safe passage in times of regional turbulence are directly tied to the quality of bilateral relations that meetings such as this one are designed to sustain.

Energy importers, including Indian public-sector refiners and private sector buyers who source crude from Gulf producers, also have a stake in stable diplomatic channels between India and GCC states. Consistent high-level contact helps ensure that supply-chain disruptions can be addressed through diplomatic means before they escalate.

What's Next

Both ministers agreed to 'remain in touch,' signalling that the Manila meeting is likely a precursor to further consultations rather than a standalone engagement. Observers will watch for any follow-up bilateral or GCC-related forum where India and Oman may coordinate positions on Gulf security dynamics.

The meeting reinforces a broader pattern of India sustaining high-frequency diplomatic contact with GCC partners — a pattern that has intensified as regional fault lines have shifted. Dr. Jaishankar's engagement with Al Busaidi in Manila suggests that managing Gulf stability remains a live and active priority for New Delhi, irrespective of the geographic setting of any given multilateral gathering.