Prime Minister Narendra Modi has concluded high-level talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, marking the first stop of his six-day tour covering the UAE and Europe. On arrival, the Prime Minister was given a ceremonial welcome at the Presidential Airport and received personally by President Al Nahyan. UAE F-16 fighter jets also escorted his aircraft as it entered Emirati airspace, in a notable gesture of protocol. During the discussions, Prime Minister Modi strongly condemned recent attacks on the UAE and reaffirmed India’s solidarity with the leadership and people of the Emirates. He also reiterated India’s support for safe and unimpeded navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring its importance for regional stability as well as global energy and food security. Following the engagements, Modi expressed gratitude to the UAE leadership for the warm reception, noting in a social media post that he looked forward to strengthening cooperation across key areas including energy, investment, and supply chains.
The talks yielded a wide range of agreements. On energy, India’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company signed a strategic collaboration agreement to raise UAE’s participation in India’s strategic petroleum reserves to thirty million barrels. A long-term LPG supply arrangement between Indian Oil Corporation and ADNOC was also concluded. On defence, the two sides signed a framework for a strategic defence partnership, covering industrial collaboration, maritime security, cyber defence and information exchange.
Five billion US dollars in UAE investment into India was announced – three billion from the Emirates New Development Bank into RBL Bank, one billion from the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority into priority infrastructure projects, and one billion from the International Holding Company into Samman Capital. The two countries also signed agreements to establish a ship repair cluster at Vadinar, a skill development framework for the maritime sector, and an agreement to set up an eight-exaflop supercomputing cluster between India’s CDAC and UAE’s G-42.
Speaking to Akashvani, Ambassador Deepak Mittal said India and the UAE have taken several strategic decisions during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Abu Dhabi to deepen cooperation in energy, technology, investment and trade.
Indian Ambassador to the UAE said, “During the visit, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan presented a Cerebras chip to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These advanced chips are set to power India’s upcoming 8 exaflop supercomputing facility, significantly boosting the India AI Mission and strengthening the country’s next-generation artificial intelligence capabilities. The two leaders also welcomed the launch of the MAITRI virtual trade corridor, a digital framework linking customs and port authorities on both sides to streamline cargo movement, reduce costs, and cut transit times. Prime Minister Modi invited President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed to visit India at an early date.”
