The I2U2 Group is a minilateral grouping and an inter-governmental economic cooperation forum, not a treaty-based alliance, involving India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the United States (US). The name is an acronym for the two countries starting with 'I' and the two starting with 'U'. It was initially conceived during a meeting of the four countries' foreign ministers in New Delhi on October 18, 2021, following the Abraham Accords of September 2020 which normalized relations between Israel and the UAE. The Accords created a diplomatic opening, allowing the US to knit together partners across West Asia and South Asia, and the grouping was initially nicknamed the "West Asian Quad" or the "International Forum for Economic Cooperation".
The mechanism of the I2U2 Group is an executive-level coordination mechanism focused on shared economic and technological objectives, rather than security or defense. Its operation involves summit-level and ministerial coordination, paired with business-led project identification. The first virtual leaders' summit was held on July 14, 2022, where the leaders issued a joint statement outlining six focus areas for joint investments and new initiatives: water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security. The working model leverages the comparative advantages of the members: US and Israeli private-sector technology and capital, UAE sovereign and commercial financing, and Indian scale in manufacturing and consumer markets. Key projects include a $2 billion UAE investment to develop integrated food parks across India and a hybrid renewable energy project in Gujarat State.
The I2U2 Group connects to the broader concept of minilateralism and is often contrasted with the Quad (India, US, Japan, Australia), which is centered on maritime security in the Indo-Pacific. It is also closely linked to the Abraham Accords and complements initiatives like the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). While the momentum slowed after October 2023 due to regional political conditions, the framework remains active, with working-level engagement continuing across the six pillars. A recent development was the announcement of a new joint space venture on September 21, 2023, using space-based observation data to address environmental and climate change challenges. The core focus on economic and technological cooperation has remained constant since its inception.