In a significant move, UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will arrive in India on Monday on an official visit. The brief visit, lasting just two hours, happens at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East, amid threats of a US attack on Iran.
A statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said the visit is on the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and follows the recent high-level visits of Abu Dhabi crown prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 2024 and Dubai crown prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to India.
Interestingly, the visit coincides with the US President Donald Trump inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi onboard the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.
His talks with Prime Minister Modi are scheduled to be held in the national capital this evening, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
For latest news and analyses on Middle East, visit: Yello! Middle East
This will be Sheikh Mohamed’s third official visit to India since assuming office as President of the United Arab Emirates, and his fifth visit to the country in the past decade.
The visit also comes as India and the UAE ramp up engagement in both civilian and military sectors. Earlier this month, on January 4, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi visited the UAE to strengthen defence cooperation and military-to-military ties. During the visit, he was accorded a Guard of Honour by the UAE Land Forces.
General Dwivedi had also held talks with senior leaders of the UAE Armed Forces, including the Commander of the UAE Land Forces, and received briefings on the structure, roles and capabilities of the UAE Army. He visited key military establishments and interacted with officers and troops, underlining the growing defence partnership between India and the UAE.
A month earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited the UAE to attend the 16th India–UAE Joint Commission Meeting and the fifth round of the India–UAE Strategic Dialogue, held on December 15. The meetings were co-chaired by Jaishankar and his counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE.
During his visit, Jaishankar undertook a comprehensive review of the entire spectrum of India–UAE bilateral relations. According to the MEA, the discussions covered trade, investment, energy, connectivity, defence, security, development partnership, technology, health, culture, education and people-to-people ties.
India and the UAE share warm, close, and multi-faceted relations, and are among each other’s top trading partners, bolstered by the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
The two countries are among each other's top trading and investment partners, bolstered by the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), the Local Currency Settlement (LCS) system, and the Bilateral Investment Treaty. India and the UAE also enjoy a robust energy partnership, including long-term energy supply arrangements.
According to the External Affairs Ministry, the visit of the UAE President to India is set to provide an opportunity for the two leaders to chart new frontiers for the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. It will also enable an exchange of views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, where India and the UAE share a high degree of convergence.