NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to travel to Jordan and Oman in mid-December, at a time when West Asian nations are working to sustain the fragile ceasefire in Gaza. This would be Modi’s second visit to Oman—one of the countries with which India is expected to soon finalize a free trade agreement (FTA). His only previous stop in Jordan was in 2018, when he transited through Amman en route to Ramallah, becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Palestine.
Modi last visited Oman in 2018. While negotiations for an India–Oman FTA have concluded, a formal signing is still pending. If Oman completes its domestic procedures in the coming weeks, the agreement could become a major highlight of the visit.
The Gaza conflict is expected to feature prominently in Modi’s discussions with both King Abdullah II of Jordan and Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, who visited India in 2023. With a large Indian diaspora, energy interests, and connectivity projects in the region, India has consistently backed international efforts to secure a ceasefire, enable the release of hostages, and return to diplomacy. India has also viewed U.S. peace initiatives as aligning with its long-standing support for a negotiated two-state solution.
Earlier this year, both Jordan and Oman strongly condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack, with King Abdullah expressing condolences to Modi and calling for an end to terrorism in all forms.
Beyond trade, Modi’s talks in Amman may also cover the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), with Jordan positioning itself as a potential transit hub. Bilateral trade and investment ties have been expanding, with India becoming Jordan’s fourth-largest trading partner in 2023–24, and trade reaching $2.8 billion.
With Oman, India enjoys its closest defence partnership in the Gulf. According to the foreign ministry, defence ties form a central pillar of the strategic relationship, and Oman is the first Gulf nation where all three branches of the Indian armed forces conduct joint exercises.
