The United Arab Emirates and India are working to increase their already close partnership.
Both countries are key parts of a global trade route that links Asia and Europe. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks in New Delhi, UAE media reported.
The National noted, “President Sheikh Mohamed held high-level talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday under a working visit, as the two countries agreed [to] deals aimed at bolstering ties across defense, space, and energy.”
The leaders are working to increase bilateral cooperation. The various sectors of importance in the discussion were listed as technology and AI, as well as addressing food security.
The Emirati leader was welcomed at Palam Air Base by the Indian leader. According to the report, the leaders signed a number of important documents, including “a letter of intent on a Strategic Defense Partnership,” which was exchanged by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, UAE deputy prime minister and foreign minister, and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the Indian foreign minister.
In addition, a “Letter of Intent was exchanged by Reem Al Hashimy, minister of state for international cooperation, and Vikram Misri, foreign secretary of India, between the UAE Space Agency and the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre to launch a joint initiative to enable space industry development and commercial collaboration.” Al Hashimy has recently been named to the Gaza Executive Board, which is part of the Board of Peace.
UAE President meets Modi to strengthen bilateral cooperation
An agreement was also signed between the UAE-based Adnoc Gas and the India-based Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited. Additionally, an agreement on food safety was signed.
A “letter of intent on investment cooperation between the UAE Ministry of Investment and the Government of Gujarat in the Republic of India regarding the development of Dholera Special Investment Region. The document was exchanged by Saeed Al Hajeri, minister of state, and Vikram Misri. Sheikh Mohamed pledged that the two countries would continue to work in tandem to advance “sustainable development and economic growth” in a message shared on social media following his meeting with Mr. Modi,” The National noted.
Modi noted that the UAE president’s “visit illustrates the importance he attaches to a strong India-UAE friendship. Looking forward to our discussions.”
According to the report, the large UAE delegation included Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, deputy prime minister and foreign minister; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, crown prince of Dubai, deputy prime minister, and defense minister; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed, deputy chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs; Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad, adviser to the UAE president; and several other ministers and senior officials.”
It’s important to note that India and the UAE are key parts of the IMEC initiative. This is the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which aims to link India to Europe via the Middle East. Both India and the UAE enjoy warm relations with Israel. Jerusalem and New Delhi are strategic partners. As such, UAE and India ties have implications for Israel.
There is another initiative called I2U2, which is a strategic partnership between India, Israel, the UAE, and the US. On January 14, US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg and the UAE’s State Minister Saeed Bin Mubarak Al Hajeri signed the Pax Silica declaration.
The US noted that this marks “a historic milestone in the region’s economic integration. The UAE’s leadership in energy, investment, and technological innovation makes it an indispensable partner in this coalition. Its commitment to building a world-class, secure AI ecosystem demonstrates a clear vision for harnessing technology to drive economic diversification and opportunity.”
The new agreement links Australia, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Singapore, and the United Kingdom as fellow signatories. India will join as a signatory next month, the US Department of State noted. As such, the UAE-India relationship is part of the larger relationships in the region and the world that are also linked to Israel and technology.