PM Modi, UAE President agree to boost defence, nuclear and tech ties; condemn terrorism

The United Arab Emirates president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, met with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital as part of a visit aimed at bolstering bilateral and strategic partnership.

• Modi and UAE President held talks, condemning cross-border terrorism.
• India and UAE signed deals on defense, nuclear energy, LNG, and space cooperation.
• Both nations aim to double bilateral trade to USD 200 billion by 2032.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Monday held wide-ranging talks in New Delhi, condemning cross-border terrorism and agreeing to deepen cooperation across defence, nuclear energy, infrastructure, technology and trade.

The discussions were held in both restricted and expanded formats at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, during which the two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global developments of mutual interest, officials said.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri described the UAE President’s visit as “short but extremely substantive”, noting that it lasted around three hours and included members of the royal families of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Among the key outcomes was the signing of a Letter of Intent to work towards a Strategic Defence Partnership, marking a significant step in strengthening defence and security cooperation under the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The two sides also agreed to promote civil nuclear cooperation, including collaboration on large nuclear reactors and small modular reactors. They discussed cooperation in nuclear power plant operations, maintenance and nuclear safety following the enactment of India’s SHANTI law.

In the energy sector, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and ADNOC Gas signed a 10-year Sales and Purchase Agreement for the supply of liquefied natural gas beginning in 2028. Officials said the UAE has now emerged as India’s second-largest LNG supplier.

A Letter of Intent was also signed between the Government of Gujarat and the UAE Ministry of Investment for investment cooperation in the Dholera Special Investment Region, covering projects such as an international airport, ports, rail connectivity, energy infrastructure and aviation facilities.

On space cooperation, India and the UAE signed a Letter of Intent between the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre and the UAE Space Agency to enable joint initiatives in space industry development and commercial collaboration.

The two countries also agreed to establish a supercomputing cluster in India, explore cooperation in data centres and digital or data embassies, and confirmed the UAE’s participation in India’s upcoming Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit.

In the economic sphere, India and the UAE set a target to double bilateral trade to USD 200 billion by 2032. UAE firms First Abu Dhabi Bank and DP World announced plans to set up operations at GIFT City, strengthening financial and logistics ties.

To deepen people-to-people connections, the two sides agreed to establish a ‘House of India’ in Abu Dhabi, showcasing Indian art, heritage and archaeology, and to promote youth exchanges.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar saw off the UAE President at the airport following the conclusion of the visit.