New Delhi |Jan 20, 2026 | External Affairs
The State Visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, to India on January 19, 2026 marked a significant milestone in the rapidly expanding India–UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with both sides announcing a wide-ranging set of agreements, letters of intent, and forward-looking initiatives spanning investment, defence, energy, technology, space, food security, and people-to-people ties.
The visit underscored the growing convergence between New Delhi and Abu Dhabi as trusted strategic partners with shared interests in economic growth, regional stability, technological advancement, and global connectivity.
Strategic Investments and Infrastructure Cooperation
A major highlight of the visit was the Letter of Intent on Investment Cooperation between the Government of Gujarat and the Ministry of Investment of the UAE for the development of the Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR). The envisioned UAE partnership will support the creation of world-class infrastructure in Dholera, including an international airport, pilot training facilities, aircraft maintenance and repair hubs, a greenfield port, smart urban townships, railway connectivity, and integrated energy infrastructure—positioning Dholera as a flagship industrial and logistics hub under India’s growth strategy.
Space, Defence and Advanced Technologies
India and the UAE further strengthened cooperation in strategic and emerging domains. A Letter of Intent between IN-SPACe and the UAE Space Agency was signed to promote joint space industry development and commercial collaboration. This initiative will focus on shared infrastructure such as launch complexes, manufacturing and technology zones, incubation and acceleration centres for space start-ups, and capacity-building through training and exchange programmes.
In the defence sector, both countries agreed to work towards establishing a Strategic Defence Partnership Framework Agreement. The partnership aims to expand cooperation in defence industrial collaboration, advanced technologies, cyber and counter-terrorism, special operations, military training, education, doctrine development, and interoperability.
Energy Security and Civil Nuclear Cooperation
Energy cooperation featured prominently, with HPCL and ADNOC Gas signing a long-term LNG Sales and Purchase Agreement, under which India will procure 0.5 million metric tonnes per annum of LNG for 10 years starting from 2028, reinforcing India’s long-term energy security.
The two sides also agreed to promote bilateral civil nuclear cooperation, leveraging India’s SHANTI Act 2025. The partnership will explore collaboration in advanced nuclear technologies, including large reactors, Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), reactor systems, nuclear power plant operations, maintenance, and nuclear safety frameworks.
Trade, Food Security and Digital Economy
India and the UAE reaffirmed their ambition to double bilateral trade to over USD 200 billion by 2032, with a particular emphasis on linking MSMEs and expanding market access through initiatives such as Bharat Mart, Virtual Trade Corridors, and Bharat-Africa Setu.
To strengthen agri-trade and food security, an MoU on Food Safety and Technical Requirements was signed between APEDA and the UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. The agreement aims to streamline sanitary and quality standards to facilitate exports of rice and other agricultural products from India, benefiting Indian farmers while supporting the UAE’s food security objectives.
Digital, AI and Financial Cooperation
The visit also saw agreement in principle on the establishment of a supercomputing cluster in India, through collaboration between C-DAC and the UAE’s G-42, as part of the AI India Mission. The facility will support research, application development, and commercial use across public and private sectors.
Further strengthening financial and logistics integration, First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and DP World announced plans to establish offices and operations in GIFT City, Gujarat, enhancing cross-border banking, trade finance, and global shipping services.
India and the UAE also agreed to explore the establishment of Digital/Data Embassies under mutually recognised sovereignty frameworks, reflecting growing cooperation in digital governance and data security.
Cultural and People-to-People Initiatives
Highlighting the civilizational dimension of the partnership, both sides agreed in principle to establish a ‘House of India’ in Abu Dhabi, envisioned as a flagship cultural space showcasing Indian art, heritage, archaeology, and civilizational links.
The two countries also committed to promoting youth exchanges, including structured visits of youth delegations to foster academic collaboration, research linkages, and deeper cultural understanding between future generations.
A Forward-Looking Strategic Partnership
The outcomes of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit reflect the maturity, depth, and multidimensional character of India–UAE relations. By integrating infrastructure investment, defence and space cooperation, clean energy, digital technologies, and people-centric initiatives, the partnership is poised to play a stabilising and growth-oriented role in the Indo-Pacific, West Asia, and the Global South.
The visit reaffirmed the shared vision of India and the UAE to build a future-ready partnership anchored in trust, strategic convergence, and mutual prosperity.
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