Two hour visit: PM Modi receives UAE President Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Delhi airport

PM Modi receives UAE President Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Delhi airport

PM welcomes Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President, at Delhi airport today. His brief visit to India is expected to last about two hours.

MBZ's trip occurs amid rising tensions in West Asia, as US President Donald Trump seeks to rally leaders for the National Committee for Gaza's Administration.

PM Modi went to the airport to personally welcome the UAE President, highlighting the close ties between the two leaders and the strong bilateral relationship between India and the UAE. Taking to social media platform X, the Prime Minister said, "Went to the airport to welcome my brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. His visit illustrates the importance he attaches to a strong India-UAE friendship. Looking forward to our discussions."

Went to the airport to welcome my brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. His visit illustrates the importance he attaches to a strong India-UAE friendship. Looking forward to our discussions.@MohamedBinZayedpic.twitter.com/Os3FRvVrBc

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 19, 2026

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the visit is by invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and continues the momentum from recent high-level exchanges, including Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, in September 2024, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and Crown Prince of Dubai, in April 2025.

The visit aligns with recent developments in West Asia, where Trump is about to launch Phase 2 of the Gaza Peace Plan, aiming to establish a National Committee for Gaza’s administration.

His meetings with Prime Minister Modi are scheduled for this evening in New Delhi.

This marks Sheikh Mohamed's third official trip to India since becoming UAE President and his fifth in the last decade, highlighting the strong and ongoing high-level relations between New Delhi and Abu Dhabi.