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Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally welcomed United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan upon his arrival in India on Monday for a short, two-hour visit. Sheikh Mohamed is in New Delhi at Prime Minister Modi’s invitation.
Despite its brief duration, officials said the visit is expected to allow both leaders to exchange views on matters of mutual interest, as well as regional and global issues, especially in light of changing geopolitical developments in the Middle East.
This visit is build on the strong momentum created by recent high-level engagements, including the visit of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, in September 2024, and that of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence and Crown Prince of Dubai, in April 2025.
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Visit comes amid Trump’s Phase 2 of Gaza Peace Plan
The visit comes at a time of unfolding developments in West Asia, as Trump is close to launching Phase 2 of the Gaza Peace Plan. This stage involves the United States’ efforts to establish a National Committee to oversee the administration of Gaza.
This marks Sheikh Mohamed’s third official visit to India since taking office as President of the United Arab Emirates and his fifth trip to the country over the past decade, underscoring the depth and regularity of high-level engagement between New Delhi and Abu Dhabi.
The UAE President’s visit to India takes place amid a spate of recent high-level interactions between the two countries, encompassing both civilian leadership and senior military officials. Earlier this month, on January 4, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi undertook an official visit to the UAE. During the visit, he was accorded a Guard of Honour by the UAE Land Forces.
About a month earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited the UAE to participate in the 16th India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting and the fifth India-UAE Strategic Dialogue on December 15.During the visit, Jaishankar conducted an extensive review of bilateral ties. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), discussions spanned trade, investment, energy, connectivity, defence, security, development cooperation, technology, healthcare, culture, education, and people-to-people linkages.
In recent months, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia concluded a defence agreement that reportedly treats an attack on one as an attack on both, creating a framework for collective security, though details remain unclear. At the same time, tensions have emerged between Saudi Arabia and the UAE over developments in Yemen. Shortly before the Indian Army Chief’s visit, Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes against positions held by the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) in southern Yemen, even as it urged dialogue to curb violence near its borders.
Two countries have multifaceted ties
India and the UAE share close, multifaceted relations rooted in strong political, cultural, and economic ties. They rank among each other’s leading trade and investment partners, supported by mechanisms such as the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), the Local Currency Settlement system, and the Bilateral Investment Treaty. The partnership is further reinforced by robust cooperation in the energy sector, including long-term supply arrangements.
According to the MEA, the UAE President’s visit will offer both leaders an opportunity to explore new avenues under the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and exchange views on regional and global issues where their perspectives largely align.
India and the UAE established diplomatic relations in 1972, with the UAE opening its embassy in India the same year and India inaugurating its embassy in the UAE in 1973. The two countries also work closely at the United Nations and are members of several plurilateral groupings, including BRICS, I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-USA), and the UAE-France-India trilateral framework. The UAE was also invited as a guest country to the G20 Summit held under India’s presidency.
