A Week Marked by Heightened Activity for Indian Diplomats in GULF

In a week marked by heightened diplomatic activity, India’s all-party parliamentary delegations completed critical visits to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Bahrain, stating shared resolve to combat terrorism and build on the momentum of Operation Sindoor — India’s calibrated military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

In Abu Dhabi, the delegation led by Shiv Sena MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde met with key figures including UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, HH Sheikh Nahyan Mabarak Al Nahyan, who conveyed strong solidarity with India.

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UAE’s firm condemnation of the Pahalgam attack came swiftly after the incident and has since been reinforced through high-level exchanges, including phone calls between Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and India’s EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar.

The delegation also met Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the UAE Federal National Council’s Defence, Interior & Foreign Affairs Committee, who stressed that the India-UAE partnership "encompasses security and strategic issues" and called for united global action against terror. Substantive discussions were also held with the National Media Office on countering disinformation campaigns, with Indian representatives presenting detailed evidence of Pakistan-sponsored propaganda mechanisms.

In Bahrain, the delegation led by senior MPs met with Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa and other key parliamentary and civil society leaders. These discussions focused on India’s measured response via Operation Sindoor and the long-standing challenge of cross-border terrorism.

Bahrain’s strong condemnation of the Pahalgam attack and its consistent cooperation with India on counter-terrorism were reiterated. The Kingdom has also hosted strategic dialogues with India in the past under the High Joint Commission and other multilateral platforms.

The Indian delegations also engaged think tanks like the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the King Hamad Global Center for Coexistence and Tolerance in Bahrain, and participated in strategic dialogues in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. These interactions focused on the evolving threat of terrorism and the global consensus needed to counter it.

With both UAE and Bahrain publicly backing India’s diplomatic and operational moves, New Delhi’s Gulf outreach marks a turning point in building an international coalition that no longer tolerates selective narratives on terrorism.