The President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan concluded his brief but significant visit to India on Monday. The three hour visit to New Delhi focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation and advancing economic and strategic ties between the two nations. During his stay the UAE President met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and held wide ranging discussions on key areas of partnership.
In a message shared on social media Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said he was pleased to meet Prime Minister Modi. He reaffirmed the commitment of both countries to promote sustainable development and long term economic growth through close cooperation. He highlighted the deep rooted and historic relationship shared by India and the UAE and expressed confidence that continued collaboration would benefit both nations and their people.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also described the meeting as meaningful and productive. In his statement he said it was a pleasure to host the UAE President at his official residence in New Delhi. He noted that discussions covered several important issues aimed at further strengthening the multifaceted friendship between India and the UAE. The Prime Minister said the visit reflected the strong personal bond and mutual trust between the leadership of the two countries.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar accompanied the UAE President to the Delhi airport as the visit concluded. The Ministry of External Affairs described the trip as successful and outcome driven. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the visit resulted in significant progress and further deepened the comprehensive strategic partnership between India and the UAE.
Foreign affairs experts have described the visit as timely and important given current global challenges. Foreign policy analyst Waiel Awwad said the UAE and India share strong trade and investment relations. He noted that bilateral trade has already crossed one hundred billion dollars and that the UAE has expressed interest in investing seventy five billion dollars in India. He also pointed out that more than four million Indians live in the UAE which further strengthens economic and social ties.
Several key agreements were finalised during the visit. India and the UAE signed a Letter of Intent on investment cooperation between the Government of Gujarat and the UAE Ministry of Investment. The agreement focuses on developing the Dholera Special Investment Region. The planned partnership includes major infrastructure projects such as an international airport a greenfield port railway connectivity energy facilities aviation training centres and aircraft maintenance units. The project is expected to play a major role in industrial growth and employment generation.
Both countries also agreed to work toward a Strategic Defence Partnership Framework Agreement. This initiative aims to expand defence cooperation across multiple sectors. These include defence manufacturing advanced technologies training education special operations cyber security counter terrorism and operational coordination between armed forces. Officials said this framework would strengthen security cooperation and regional stability.
Trade cooperation was another major focus area. India and the UAE agreed to work toward doubling bilateral trade to more than two hundred billion dollars by the year 2032. The strategy includes stronger links between small and medium enterprises expansion into new markets and the use of initiatives such as Bharat Mart the Virtual Trade Corridor and Bharat Africa Setu.
Civil nuclear cooperation was also discussed. Both sides agreed to enhance collaboration under opportunities created by India SHANTI Act 2025. The cooperation will cover advanced nuclear technologies including large reactors and small modular reactors. Areas such as nuclear safety operations maintenance and technical training will also be included.
Officials from both sides said the visit reflected a shared vision for future oriented growth. The agreements reached during the visit are expected to strengthen economic strategic and technological cooperation. Leaders expressed confidence that India and the UAE will continue working closely to achieve shared goals and long term mutual benefits.
