Here’s Why India is Wooing the Middle East

CNBC

19 May 2016

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has traveled far and wide in his two years in office in a bid to raise India’s global profile and make it an attractive option for international investors.

It was, then, inevitable he would turn his attention to the Middle East – a region rife with conflict but rich in cash and natural resources.

As Prime Minister, Modi’s first visit to the region was in 2015, when he visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Subsequently in April 2016, Modi met Saudi Arabia’s King Salman in Riyadh. Modi has also met several leaders in the region at the sidelines of global conferences.

On Sunday, May 22, the Indian Prime Minister will embark on a two-day visit to long-time partner Iran, while local media reports suggested a visit to Qatar was also on the cards in the next few months.

… But it’s a two-way street, with Middle Eastern countries also “shopping around for economic and security opportunities and partners,” Sumitha Narayanan Kutty, an associate research fellow with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at the Nanyang Technological University, told CNBC.

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Last updated on 23/05/2016