Cmrseowork at 15:55, 19 April 2026

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{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{for|the broader geopolitical concept|Indo-Abrahamic Alliance}}
{{Short description|Inter-governmental economic forum}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = I2U2 Group
| abbreviation = I2U2
| image = Indo-Abrahamic (I2U2) Countries.png
| caption = [[India]], [[Israel]], the [[United States]], and the [[United Arab Emirates]].
| type = Inter-governmental economic cooperation forum
| region_served = Middle East, South Asia, North America
| num_members = States in the Dialogue:
* {{flag|India}}
* {{flag|Israel}}
* {{flag|United Arab Emirates}}
* {{flag|United States}}

| established = October 2021
}}
{{Wikisource|Joint Statement of the Leaders of India, Israel, United Arab Emirates, and the United States (I2U2)}}

The '''I2U2 Group''', also known as the '''Middle Eastern Quad''' or '''Western Quad''', is a strategic partnership between [[India]], [[Israel]], the [[United Arab Emirates]], and the [[United States]]. The group’s first joint statement, released on July 14, 2022, outlined its intention to collaborate on "joint investments and new initiatives in water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security.""<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/07/14/joint-statement-of-the-leaders-of-india-israel-united-arab-emirates-and-the-united-states-i2u2/|title=Joint Statement of the Leaders of India, Israel, United Arab Emirates, and the United States (I2U2)|first=The White|last=House|date=July 14, 2022|website=The White House}}</ref>

== Background ==
In an essay for the [[Middle East Institute]], Mohammed Soliman, a foreign policy thinker, made the strategic case for a broader "[[Indo-Abrahamic Alliance]]" that includes India, Israel, the UAE, and the United States and would expand in the future to include Egypt and Saudi Arabia to create a favorable balance of power that maintains peace and security in West Asia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mei.edu/publications/indo-abrahamic-alliance-rise-how-india-israel-and-uae-are-creating-new-transregional |title=An Indo-Abrahamic alliance on the rise: How India, Israel, and the UAE are creating a new transregional order; The Middle East Institute |website=www.mei.edu |date=July 28, 2021 |access-date=2022-07-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Payyalil |first1=Karthik |url=https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2022/06/01/camp-david-to-indo-abrahamic-alliance-half-right-and-still-waiting/ |title=Camp David to Indo-Abrahamic alliance- "half right and still waiting"; Modern Diplomacy |website=moderndiplomacy.eu |date=June 1, 2021 |access-date=2022-07-24}}</ref> Indian commentator [[Raja Mohan]] endorsed Soliman's Indo-Abrahamic concept and how it "can provide a huge fillip to India’s engagement with the extended neighbourhood to the west."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/india-middle-east-relations-israel-uae-abraham-accords-7435298/ |title=Making a case for Indo-Abrahamic accord; The Indian Express |website=indianexpress.com |date=August 3, 2021 |access-date=2022-07-17}}</ref> Soliman's strategic concept of the "Indo-Abrahamic Alliance" is hailed as one of the most influential articulations of post-US Middle East and eventually laid the framework for the I2U2 group.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/premium-conversations-decoding-the-politics-of-i2u2-with-mohammed-soliman-101657770196765.html/ |title=Premium Conversations: Decoding the politics of I2U2 with Mohammed Soliman; The Hindustan Times |website=www.hindustantimes.com/ |date=July 14, 2022 |access-date=2022-07-17}}</ref>

India, Israel, the UAE, and the United States held their first joint meeting virtually in October 2021. At the time, the grouping of the four countries was compared to [[Quadrilateral Security Dialogue|the Quad]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/india-and-the-new-quad-in-west-asia-7578842/|title=India and the new 'Quad' in West Asia; The Indian Express|website=www.indianexpress.com/|date=October 20, 2021|access-date=2022-07-17}}</ref> The inclusion of the UAE and Israel in a cooperative agreement of this kind was made possible by the [[Abraham Accords]] brokered in August 2020, which normalized relations between the two countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/2021/10/18/uae-us-israel-and-india-meet-to-boost-four-way-co-operation/|title=UAE, US, Israel and India meet to boost four-way co-operation;The National|website= www.thenationalnews.com|date=October 18, 2021|access-date=2022-07-17}}</ref> Soliman intended for the [[Indo-Abrahamic Alliance]] concept to transform West Asia's regional geopolitics and geo-economics and ultimately link the I2U2 Plus group with the [[Quadrilateral Security Dialogue|Quad]] to shore up an overarching Asian order.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/a-new-overarching-asian-order-101635339818144.html|title=A new overarching Asian order: With the Indo-Abrahamic bloc, the United States can pivot to East Asia without leaving a vacuum in West Asia; Hindustan Times|website= www.hindustantimes.com|date=October 18, 2021|access-date=2022-07-17}}</ref> Soliman advocates for expanding the format to include more member states such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, France, and Greece.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.indianarrative.com/opinion-news/meet-mohammed-soliman-the-grand-strategist-behind-the-west-asia-quad-concept-182447.html |title=Meet Mohammed Soliman-- the grand strategist behind the West -Asia Quad concept; India Narrative |website=www.indianarrative.com |date=July 28, 2021 |access-date=2022-07-07 |archive-date=July 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707140559/https://www.indianarrative.com/opinion-news/meet-mohammed-soliman-the-grand-strategist-behind-the-west-asia-quad-concept-182447.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/middle-eastern-quad-how-abraham-accords-opened-west-asia-for-india-10067651.html |title=Middle Eastern Quad? How Abraham Accords opened West Asia for India; Firstpost |website=www.firstpost.com|date=October 19, 2021 |access-date=2022-07-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-privatization-of-haifa-port-india-1-china-0/ |title=The privatization of Haifa Port: India 1 China 0; The Times of Israel |website=[[The Times of Israel]]|date=July 20, 2022 |access-date=2022-07-20 |issn=0040-7909}}</ref>

Indian commentator Harshil Mehta, writing for ''[[News18]]'', called the I2U2 as "a platform for the 21st century, driven by economic pragmatism, multilateral cooperation, and strategic autonomy", which "stands in sharp contrast to old groupings where religion or political ideology would matter."<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 19, 2022 |title=How I2U2 is Truly a Platform for 21st Century |url=https://www.news18.com/news/opinion/how-i2u2-is-truly-a-platform-for-21st-century-5585119.html |access-date=2022-10-14 |website=News18 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=ANI |last2=ANI |date=November 26, 2022 |title="Indo-Abrahamic Alliance" continues to gather pace: Report |url=https://theprint.in/world/indo-abrahamic-alliance-continues-to-gather-pace-report/1237665/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Abel |first=Pablo |date=November 27, 2022 |title=La 'Alianza Indo-Abrahámica' de India e Israel continúa con gran ímpetu |url=https://aurora-israel.co.il/la-alianza-indo-abrahamica-de-india-e-israel-continua-con-gran-impetu/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=Aurora |language=es |archive-date=November 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127161852/https://aurora-israel.co.il/la-alianza-indo-abrahamica-de-india-e-israel-continua-con-gran-impetu/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=India, Israel's 'Indo-Abrahamic Alliance' continues to gather pace |url=https://www.jpost.com/international/article-723316 |access-date=2022-11-28 |work=The Jerusalem Post}}</ref>

== Collaborative projects ==
The group held its inaugural summit on July 14, 2022, in which Indian Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]], US President [[Joe Biden]], Israeli Prime Minister [[Yair Lapid]], and UAE President [[Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan]] participated.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/positive-agenda-prime-minister-narendra-modi-addresses-first-i2u2-summit-virtually/article65639365.ece|title=India to give land for I2U2-backed food parks|first=Kallol|last=Bhattacherjee|work=The Hindu |date=July 14, 2022}}</ref> As an outcome of the summit, the leaders announced that the UAE will invest $2 billion "to develop a series of integrated food parks across India," while the group also agreed to proceed with "a hybrid renewable energy project in India's [[Gujarat]] State consisting of 300 megawatts (MW) of wind and solar capacity complemented by a battery energy storage system."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-712091|title=India, Israel, UAE, US hold first 'I2U2' meeting|work=The Jerusalem Post}}</ref> Due to the actual needs of all parties, the I2U2's main cooperation focuses on economic growth and trade synergies, unlike the Quad based on defence and security.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Hassan M Kamal |title=Explained: Why the new grouping I2U2 is not a West Asian Quad |date=July 14, 2022 |url=https://www.news9live.com/world/explained-why-the-new-grouping-i2u2-is-not-a-west-asian-quad-182479 |access-date=July 14, 2022}}</ref>

On September 21, 2023, under the I2U2 group's focus area of space, the governments of India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States announced a new joint space venture on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Primarily using the space-based observation data and capabilities of the four I2U2 partner countries, this project aims to create a unique space-based tool for policymakers, institutions, and entrepreneurs, enabling their work on environmental and climate change challenges and furthering our cooperation in the applications of space data for the greater good of humanity.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The I2U2 Group Announces Joint Space Venture |publisher=[[US Department of State]] |date=22 September 2023 |url=https://www.state.gov/the-i2u2-group-announces-joint-space-venture/ |archive-date=2 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002144012/https://www.state.gov/the-i2u2-group-announces-joint-space-venture/ }}</ref>

The I2U2 members also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the US-UAE Business Council, the UAE-India Business Council, and the UAE-Israel Business Council to create the I2U2 Private Enterprise Partnership. This new public-private partnership will work to increase awareness of the I2U2 initiative in business communities and support projects and other efforts that further the goals of the initiative.<ref>{{Cite web |title=I2U2 Group signs new economic Memorandum of Understanding |date=21 September 2023 |publisher=[[Israel National News]] |url=https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/377312 |archive-date=22 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230922050624/https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/377312 }}</ref>

== I2U2 Plus ==
=== Egypt ===
[[Raja Mohan]] argued for the inclusion of Egypt in the Indo-Abrahamic framework because of its location "at the cusp of the Mediterranean – Europe, Africa, and Asia, Egypt is the center and heart of the Greater Middle East."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/india-middle-east-relations-israel-uae-abraham-accords-7435298/ |title=Making a case for Indo-Abrahamic accord; The Indian Express |website=indianexpress.com |date=August 3, 2021 |access-date=2022-06-09}}</ref> Soliman concurred with Mohan on the strategic need to bring Egypt into the Indo-Abrahamic framework/I2U2 group because of Cairo's civilizational outlook, demographics, geography, economic and military power, and geopolitical aspiration.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mei.edu/publications/egypt-and-india-time-rebuild-relations |title=Egypt and India: Time to rebuild relations; The Middle East Institute|website=mei.edu |date=May 26, 2022 |access-date=2022-07-17}}</ref>

=== Saudi Arabia ===
Soliman argued that the inclusion of Saudi Arabia under the Indo-Abrahamic framework/I2U2 is "critical to the development of a West Asian system that ensures long-term peace and stability."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/india-saudi-arabia-and-the-indo-abrahamic-plus/|title=India, Saudi Arabia, and the Indo-Abrahamic Plus; Observer Research Foundation |website=orfonline.org |date=July 12, 2022 |access-date=2022-07-17}}</ref>

== Summits ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ I2U2 Summits
|-
!# !! Year !! Dates !! Country !! City !! Leaders !!Ref. !!Image
|-
! scope="row" |1
|| 2022 || July 14 || {{flag|Israel}} || Virtual/[[Jerusalem]] || style="text-align:center"| {{Collapsible list|titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;
|title = 4
|{{flagicon image|flag of India.svg}} [[Narendra Modi]]
|{{flagicon image|flag of Israel.svg}} '''[[Yair Lapid]]'''
|{{flagicon image|flag of United Arab Emirates.svg}} [[Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan]]
|{{flagicon image|flag of United States.svg}} [[Joe Biden]]
}}
|| ||[[File:President Joe Biden meets with leaders of India, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates.jpg|center|frameless]]
|-
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{India–United States relations}}
{{Israel–United States relations}}
{{United Arab Emirates–United States relations}}

[[Category:2021 in international relations]]
[[Category:2021 establishments in India]]
[[Category:2021 establishments in Israel]]
[[Category:2021 establishments in the United Arab Emirates]]
[[Category:2021 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 2021]]
[[Category:India–Israel relations]]
[[Category:India–United Arab Emirates relations]]
[[Category:India–United States relations]]
[[Category:Israel–United Arab Emirates relations]]
[[Category:Israel–United States relations]]
[[Category:United Arab Emirates–United States relations]]
[[Category:Multilateral relations]]
[[Category:Presidency of Joe Biden]]
[[Category:Narendra Modi]]

I2U2 Group - Revision history

Cmrseowork at 15:55, 19 April 2026