UAE President to visit India today for wide-ranging talks on trade, security and regional issues

The situation in the Middle-east is also likely to figure in the talks

• UAE President to visit India on Jan 19 to boost strategic partnership
• Trade, defence, and energy cooperation expected on agenda
• India-UAE trade crossed $100 billion in FY2024-25 after CEPA

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United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will be on an official visit to India on Monday  to explore new frontiers in further boosting the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

His visit to India comes against the backdrop of mounting instability in the Middle East, marked by a sharp deterioration in Iran-US relations, lingering tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE over Yemen, and an unsettled political situation in Gaza.

People familiar with the UAE president's visit told PTI that trade and investment, defence industry cooperation and energy initiatives are expected to be on the agenda of his talks with the Indian leadership.

The situation in the Middle-east is also likely to figure in the talks, they said.

At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the President of the UAE will pay an official visit to India on January 19, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Sunday. It will be the UAE leader's third official visit to India since assuming the charge of the top office and the fifth to the country over the last 10 years.

Bilateral trade and people-to-people exchanges have seen a sharp rise since New Delhi and Abu Dhabi signed an ambitious comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) in 2022.

The visit builds on the strong momentum generated by recent high-level exchanges, including the visit of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India in September 2024, the MEA said.

It also mentioned the visit to India by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the deputy prime minister and defence minister of the UAE, in April last year.

"India and the UAE share warm, close, and multi-faceted relations, underpinned by strong political, cultural, and economic ties," the MEA said.

“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,” it added.

India-UAE bilateral trade, propelled by the CEPA, crossed $100 billion in FY2024-25, making the UAE India’s third-largest trade partner and its second-largest export market. Jewellery, refined petroleum, electronics and farm products lead Indian exports, while crude oil, gold and diamonds dominate imports, alongside efforts to deepen non-oil trade.

“The visit will 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,” the MEA statement said.