UAE JAN 20 : India and the United Arab Emirates established an ambitious target of USD 200 billion in annual bilateral trade by 2032 and agreed to formalize a strategic defence partnership during UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s high-profile visit to New Delhi on Sunday, as both nations charted an expansive roadmap to deepen cooperation across defence, energy, space, civil nuclear technology, and emerging sectors.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally welcomed President Al Nahyan at Delhi’s airport with a warm embrace, after which the two leaders traveled together in the same vehicle to the Prime Minister’s residence. The visit, though brief at approximately three-and-a-half hours, proved exceptionally substantive, with discussions held in both restricted and delegation-level formats that produced multiple agreements spanning critical strategic domains.
In a significant development, both nations signed a letter of intent to work toward concluding a framework agreement for a strategic defence partnership between India and the UAE. This initiative signals a major expansion in bilateral defence ties and reflects growing strategic convergence between the two countries amid evolving regional security dynamics.
“A letter of intent was signed between the two sides to work towards concluding a framework agreement for a strategic defence partnership between India and the UAE,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced at a media briefing following the summit.
The two leaders unequivocally condemned cross-border terrorism and emphasized that perpetrators, supporters, and financiers of all acts of terrorism must be brought to justice, demonstrating their shared commitment to combating extremism and maintaining regional stability.
The two nations decided to explore groundbreaking partnerships in advanced nuclear technologies, including development of large nuclear reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs), as well as cooperation in advanced reactor systems and nuclear power plant operations. These discussions gained particular significance following India’s passage of the Shanti Act, which opens new opportunities for civil nuclear cooperation.
In the energy sector, a long-term agreement was concluded for the annual supply of 0.5 million metric tonnes of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to India. The UAE currently ranks as India’s second-largest LNG supplier after Qatar, and this agreement will further strengthen energy security cooperation between the two strategic partners.
Another letter of intent was signed for joint collaboration in developing space infrastructure, marking a significant leap in bilateral space cooperation. Under this ambitious initiative, both countries will work toward establishing new launch complexes, satellite fabrication facilities, joint space missions, space academies, and specialized training centers.
This space partnership reflects both nations’ growing capabilities and ambitions in the final frontier, while also creating opportunities for technology transfer and joint innovation in one of the most strategically important domains of the 21st century.
Artificial Intelligence emerged as a priority area of cooperation during the summit. The two sides agreed to collaborate on establishing a supercomputing cluster in India with UAE partnership, while the Gulf nation will also explore investments for expanding data center capacities across India.
In an innovative development, both countries will explore the possibility of setting up a “data embassy”—a relatively new concept that will be developed under mutually recognized sovereignty agreements. This initiative demonstrates forward-thinking approaches to digital sovereignty and data security in an increasingly connected world.
A separate document was signed to facilitate the UAE’s participation in developing a special investment region in Gujarat’s Dholera. This transformative initiative will focus on establishing an international airport, pilot training school, Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, a greenfield port, a smart urban township, and projects related to railway connectivity and energy infrastructure.
The Dholera project represents one of India’s most ambitious smart city initiatives and UAE participation will bring substantial investment, expertise, and technological capabilities to accelerate its development.
The announcement of a USD 200 billion bilateral trade target by 2032 represents more than a doubling of current trade volumes. The bilateral trade between India and UAE stood at USD 84 billion in 2023-24, and both nations are committed to implementing measures that will drive this significant expansion over the next eight years.
An agreement on food safety was also signed, providing for enhanced cooperation in the food sector and encouraging exports of food products and agricultural commodities from India to the UAE. This agreement will benefit Indian farmers while contributing to food security in the UAE, creating a mutually beneficial arrangement that strengthens agricultural ties.
Foreign Secretary Misri confirmed that the situations in Yemen, Gaza, and Iran were discussed during the talks, though he declined to provide specific details about these sensitive conversations. “All of these issues were discussed between the leaders. I cannot get into the details at this stage, but yes, both leaders had the opportunity to share their views and opinions in detail on these issues,” he stated.
President Al Nahyan also expressed his support for the success of India’s chairmanship of the BRICS grouping this year, demonstrating UAE’s confidence in India’s growing global leadership role.
Prime Minister Modi gifted President Al Nahyan an ornate hand-carved wooden swing from Gujarat featuring traditional designs showcasing skilled Indian craftsmanship, along with a Pashmina shawl from Kashmir presented in an ornate silver box crafted in Telangana. The wooden swing was placed against a wall adorned with marigold flowers at the Prime Minister’s residence, where both leaders sat together in a gesture symbolizing friendship and partnership.
“In Gujarati culture, the swing symbolizes togetherness, conversation and bonding across generations. The gift also resonates deeply with the UAE’s declaration of 2026 as the Year of Family,” officials explained.
Modi also welcomed President Al Nahyan’s mother, Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi, presenting her with a Pashmina shawl in a silver box and Kashmiri saffron in an ornate silver container. “Grown in the Kashmir valley, saffron is revered for its deep crimson strands and intense aroma,” officials noted.
“This has been a short, but extremely substantive visit,” Foreign Secretary Misri emphasized, capturing the remarkable breadth and depth of agreements reached during the compact timeframe. The visit came amid increasing tensions in the Middle East and trade disruptions caused by evolving global tariff policies, making the strong India-UAE partnership even more strategically significant.
There has been a substantial upswing in bilateral trade and people-to-people ties since India and the UAE signed an ambitious Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2022. The agreements reached during this latest summit build on that foundation while expanding cooperation into cutting-edge technological domains and strategic sectors that will define 21st-century partnerships.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar saw off President Al Nahyan at the airport, concluding a visit that has set the stage for an even more robust and multifaceted India-UAE strategic partnership in the years ahead. The agreements and commitments made during this summit reflect both nations’ shared vision of prosperity, security, and technological advancement, while demonstrating how strategic partnerships can deliver tangible benefits across diverse sectors.
