Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi at Hyderabad House on Monday for bilateral discussions. The meeting began with a handshake and a warm hug as the two leaders greeted each other.
This marks the Crown Prince’s first official visit to India. Arriving in New Delhi on Sunday, Sheikh Khaled received a ceremonial welcome from Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal at the airport. Accompanied by a delegation of UAE ministers and business leaders, the visit emphasizes the strengthening ties between India and the UAE.
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The agenda for the visit includes enhancing cooperation across various sectors, further advancing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations. On September 10, Sheikh Khaled will travel to Mumbai to participate in a business forum with key figures from both India and the UAE.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) highlighted the significance of the visit, stating, “India and UAE share historically close and friendly ties. In recent years, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and UAE has expanded across political, trade, investment, connectivity, energy, technology, education, and culture.”
The MEA added, “The Crown Prince’s visit will reinforce the strong bilateral relations and open new avenues for partnership in emerging areas.”
Bilateral Relationship
Earlier this year, UAE President His Highness Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited India, further strengthening the bilateral relationship. He attended the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, where both nations explored new cooperation opportunities.
Prime Minister Modi has visited the UAE multiple times since 2015, with his most recent visit in July 2023 marking his fifth trip to the country. His first visit in over three decades highlighted the growing bilateral relationship.
Trade between India and the UAE surged to $85 billion in 2022, with India becoming the UAE’s second-largest trading partner and the UAE standing as India’s third-largest trading partner for 2022-23. The relationship was formally upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to India in 2017.
