India‑Saudi dialogue on West Asian energy security reveals geopolitical rivalries, regional power shifts, and historic resource competition
Original framing: “NSA Ajit Doval meets Saudi Foreign Minister, discusses energy security and regional situation” — The Hindu
Satellite tracking of tanker traffic, coupled with climate‑model projections of sea‑level rise, provides quantitative baselines for assessing vulnerability of the Strait of Hormuz and adjacent chokepoints. Peer‑reviewed analyses show that diversifying routes and investing in LNG infrastructure can mitigate systemic supply shocks.
The India‑Saudi encounter is a node in a historic pattern of resource‑driven power realignment that reproduces colonial‑era rivalries while overlooking the lived realities of Gulf coastal peoples and the ecological stakes of climate change.
By integrating indigenous maritime knowledge, scientific risk assessments, and marginalized labor perspectives into a transparent, multilateral framework, regional actors can transform a security‑centric narrative into a cooperative, just transition agenda. Such a shift draws on past cooperative models—like the 1970s OPEC solidarity and the 1990s Gulf Cooperation Council maritime accords—re‑imagined for a decarbonising future where strategic advantage is shared rather than hoarded.