United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is arriving in India on Monday to explore new frontiers in further strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.
Sheikh Nahyan’s visit to India comes amid a volatile situation in the Middle East resulting from a sharp decline in Iran-US relations, simmering tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over Yemen and a disturbing political scenario in Gaza.
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Sheikh Nahyan will fly out of New Delhi this evening after a day-long visit.
People familiar with the UAE president’s visit said trade and investment, defense industry cooperation and energy initiatives will be on the agenda for his meeting with the Indian leadership, according to a PTI news agency report.
Sheikh Al Nahyan arrives in Delhi at 16:20, according to media reports. He will hold talks with Prime Minister Modi at 4:45 PM and will depart from New Delhi around 6:00 PM. It would be a two-hour stay for the UAE president.
The situation in the Middle East
The situation in the Middle East is also likely to come up in the talks, they said.
At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the UAE President will pay an official visit to India on January 19, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Sunday.
This will be the UAE leader’s third official visit to India since assuming the highest office and the fifth to the country in the last 10 years.
After New Delhi and Abu Dhabi signed an ambitious Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in 2022, there has been a significant upswing in bilateral trade and people-to-people relations.
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The visit builds on the strong momentum created by recent high-level exchanges, including the visit of Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India in September 2024, the MEA said.
She also mentioned the visit of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of the UAE, to India in April last year.
“India and the UAE share a warm, close and multilateral relationship that is underpinned by strong political, cultural and economic ties,” the MEA said.
India-UAE ties
The two countries are among their leading trading and investment partners, supported by the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), a local currency settlement system and a bilateral investment treaty.
India and the UAE also enjoy a strong energy partnership, including long-term energy supply arrangements.
“The visit will provide an opportunity for the two leaders to chart new frontiers for the India-UAE comprehensive strategic partnership,” the MEA said in a statement.
“It will also enable exchange of views on regional and global issues of common concern where India and the UAE share a high degree of convergence,” it said.
Key things
- The UAE and India are strengthening their strategic partnership through trade, defense and energy initiatives.
- The backdrop of rising tensions in the Middle East is influencing diplomatic discussions.
- The visit marks the UAE president’s third official trip to India since taking office, reflecting strong bilateral ties.
