Sheikh Mohamed is in India for a two-hour visit, during which he is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Modi focusing on trade, investment and the broader Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries. This is his third visit to India since assuming office as President of the UAE and his fifth visit in the past decade.
The visit comes at a time when India-UAE relations are widely regarded as being at their strongest. Bilateral trade crossed the $100 billion mark in 2024–25, reflecting rapid growth following the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in February 2022. India is the UAE’s second-largest trading partner, while the UAE ranks as India’s third-largest.
According to official data, India’s imports from the UAE stood at over $63 billion in 2024–25, with exports reaching $37 billion. UAE investments in India have crossed $22 billion since 2000, including $4.3 billion in the last financial year alone. Abu Dhabi has also committed to invest $75 billion in India’s infrastructure sector.
During the talks, the two leaders are expected to review progress in key areas such as trade facilitation, defence cooperation, energy security and emerging sectors including clean energy and digital infrastructure. The Ministry of External Affairs said the visit would provide an opportunity to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and exchange views on regional and global issues.
India and the UAE upgraded their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2017, leading to expanded cooperation across defence, security and strategic dialogues. Joint military exercises such as Desert Cyclone, Desert Flag and the trilateral Desert Knight exercise with France have strengthened defence engagement.
Energy remains a cornerstone of the relationship, with the UAE being one of India’s major suppliers of crude oil, LNG and LPG. Both countries are also collaborating on future-oriented areas such as green hydrogen and biofuels.
People-to-people ties form a strong foundation of the relationship. More than 4.3 million Indians live and work in the UAE, making it home to the largest Indian expatriate community globally. Cultural and educational links have also expanded, with Indian institutions such as IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad opening campuses in the UAE in recent years.
The short visit, officials said, reflects the high level of trust and continuity in India-UAE relations, even as the West Asian region navigates complex geopolitical challenges.
