We bring you the third issue of India’s World at an important moment, as the Middle East undergoes a profound transformation, reshaping the region’s internal dynamics and its relationship with the wider world, including India. For India, the old paradigms it once used to define the region are rapidly dissolving, demanding a fundamental reassessment of how it must engage with this vital geopolitical space. The Middle East is no longer merely from which India imported energy and to which its people migrated to work, or a region seen only through the lens of conflict. Today, several Middle Eastern countries are strategic partners for India, collaborating on regional development in South Asia, the IMEC, the Indo-Pacific, and more. Delhi is fast breaking out of its decades-old continental obsession and is developing a new maritime vision—the Middle East is key to that vision.

The objective of this issue is to take stock of this crucial transformation in India’s engagement with the Middle East, and its engagement with India. India itself has changed over the past decade and more. It has emerged as a significant economic and military power in the Indo-Pacific, engaging in trade, commerce, and defence discussions with multiple Middle Eastern partners—often in conflict with one another—while overcoming its past hesitations. The Middle East, too, has transformed; it is now less ideological, more agile, and pragmatic, showing an unprecedented willingness to engage with new partners in business and security. Put simply, India and the Middle are rapidly shedding the old ideological shibboleths in their engagement with each other.

In an age of American retrenchment, the rise of China, and deepening uncertainty in global politics, India and the Middle East increasingly view each other as natural partners, vital to each other’s security, stability, and prosperity—full of unrealised potential and promise.

This carefully curated collection of essays aims to “Revisit the Middle East.” Featuring contributions from leading experts on the region, these essays explore the historical, political, economic, and security dimensions of India’s engagements with the Middle East.

As always, India’s World offers more than just the theme of the issue. Alongside, you’ll find rich explorations of culture, history and our regular columns on China, theory, and geoeconomics, among others. At 44,000 words, this issue is significantly larger than the previous two, but we have made it accessible, argumentative, and deeply engaging for you. My personal favourites are both in the history section: “An Unlikely Relationship: Nehru and Nasser” by Vineet Thakur and “The passport in the making of modern India” by Chakshu Roy.

I hope you have been enjoying India’s World. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the magazine. Write to me at editor@indiasworld.in and tell me what you think of our journey so far.

Happymon Jacob