Two hour India visit: UAE President meets Modi in New Delhi

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in India on Monday for a brief but strategically significant official visit, meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi amid rising tensions across West Asia, including Yemen, Red Sea security concerns, and growing Iranian influence in the region.

The visit, undertaken at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighted the growing depth of the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership encompassing trade, energy, defence, technology and people-to-people ties. According to sources, Sheikh Mohamed’s stay in India was brief, lasting around two hours , during which he held talks with the Prime Minister in New Delhi on bilateral cooperation and key regional and global developments.

Sheikh Mohamed’s meeting with PM Modi comes at a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty in West Asia. In Yemen, renewed clashes involving the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council have reignited conflict in southern regions, while Saudi airstrikes near its border have raised tensions. Simultaneously, threats to maritime security in the Red Sea and Iran’s growing regional influence have underscored the importance of strategic dialogue among key regional partners.

The visit also coincides with diplomatic activity around Gaza. US President Donald Trump is preparing Phase 2 of the Gaza Peace Plan, which proposes the formation of a National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. Several international and regional leaders, including Prime Minister Modi, have been invited to participate in this initiative aimed at stabilisation, reconstruction, and long-term development of Gaza.

A White House statement noted that the proposed Executive Board would oversee governance, reconstruction, investment mobilisation, and regional relations. UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy welcomed the announcement, expressing pride in the UAE’s participation in the peace initiative.

The visit follows a series of high-level engagements between India and the UAE. Earlier this month, Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi visited the UAE to strengthen military cooperation. In December, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar co-chaired the India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting and Strategic Dialogue in Abu Dhabi with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

India and the UAE share robust economic and political ties, anchored by the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) , Local Currency Settlement mechanism, and Bilateral Investment Treaty. The two nations are also closely aligned on several multilateral platforms, including BRICS, I2U2, and the G20, underscoring the growing strategic convergence between New Delhi and Abu Dhabi.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Sheikh Mohamed’s visit provides an opportunity for both leaders to chart new frontiers in the India-UAE partnership and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest.