This article covers the political relationship between India and Yemen: its historical background, India's early recognition of the two Yemeni states, the growth of relations after independence, meetings between leaders and ministers, and the areas covered by bilateral agreements. It is based on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) bilateral brief dated 18 June 2026.

According to the MEA brief of June 2026, India's relations with Yemen go back over many centuries. In the 19th and 20th century, Aden, Mocha and the Kamaran Islands became transit or transshipment points for Haj pilgrims.

Southern Yemen was a British protectorate administered by the Bombay Presidency, during which time an Indian garrison served there and the rupee was the official tender. In the years before India's independence, Aden became a port of call for many prominent Indians, and the brief names Netaji Bose, Mahatma Gandhi, Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya and Sarojini Naidu among those who visited.

Recognition and early relations

India was one of the early countries to actively support Yemen's independence from the British. It was one of the first countries to recognise the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR), in 1962, and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY), in 1967. In 1990 the YAR and the PDRY merged to become the Republic of Yemen.

The brief states that India's championship of independence and its recognition of the two republics laid the foundation for a relationship in the post-colonial era that began to deepen during the 1980s. It also notes that Yemen is a member of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), among other bodies.

Visits by leaders

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh visited India in March 1999, and Indian Vice President Shri Krishan Kant visited Yemen in October 1999 for bilateral exchanges and talks.

Ministerial meetings

The brief records a series of meetings at ministerial and official level:

  • July 2017: Abdulmalik Abdujalil Al-Mekhlafy, the then Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Yemen, visited New Delhi.
  • 2019: External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar met the then Yemeni Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Hadrami on the sidelines of the 18th Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement in Baku.
  • September 2021: EAM met the then Foreign Minister Dr. Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak on the sidelines of the 76th UNGA.
  • May 2022: Minister of State for External Affairs Shri V. Muraleedharan met the then Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak in New York.
  • September 2022: EAM met Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak on the sidelines of the 77th UNGA.
  • January 2023: Yemeni Education Minister Mr. Tareq Al-Akbari took part in the 1st Voice of Global South Summit, held virtually.
  • March 2023: Minister of State for External Affairs Shri Rajkumar Ranjan Singh met Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmad bin Mubarak in Doha.
  • August 2024: Mr. Tareq Al-Akbari took part in the 3rd Voice of Global South Summit.
  • September 2024: EAM met the Vice President of Yemen, Major General Aidarous Qassem Al-Zubaidi, on the sidelines of the 79th UNGA in New York.

Recent Yemeni delegations to India

Yemeni delegations have recently taken part in several meetings in New Delhi:

  • On Jan 31, 2026, a delegation led by the Yemeni Vice Foreign Minister, Mustapha Ahmed Mohamed Noman, attended the 2nd India-Arab Foreign Ministers' Meeting (IAFMM).
  • On May 7, 2026, Mr. Waleed Mohammed Al Qadimi, Minister of State, led the Yemeni delegation at the 10th Indian Ocean Dialogue.
  • A delegation led by Mr. Awsan Abdullah Al-Aud, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Yemen, took part in the IORA CSO Meeting held on 15-16 June in New Delhi.

Bilateral agreements

The brief states that a range of bilateral agreements exist between the two countries. They cover:

  • economic and technical cooperation
  • air services
  • agriculture and allied sectors
  • culture
  • bilateral investment promotion
  • health and medicine
  • the oil and gas industry
  • education exchange