India, UAE expedite setting up two establishments to strengthen cultural initiatives

Eyeing to strengthen cultural partnership India and the UAE have expedited two initiatives -- the establishment of a ‘House of India’ in Abu Dhabi and the setting up of a Gandhi-Zayed Centre for Peace, Tolerance & Sustainability Studies in India and UAE.

The issue was on the agenda when Director-General of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), K. Nandini Singla, co-chaired the 3rd Joint Steering Committee (JSC) Meeting of the India-UAE Cultural Council alongside Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, in New Delhi on September 30.

Recalling the discussions held during previous JSC meetings in New Delhi (March 2025) and Abu Dhabi (October 2025), the co-chairs reviewed the implementation of decisions taken to date and expressed satisfaction with the advancement of various projects initiated by the Council, according to a ICCR press release.


Both sides also reviewed progress made with regard to the Council’s two flagship The co-chairs mapped out action to be taken to expedite the implementation of these initiatives.

The two co-chairs welcomed the substantial progress in heritage and archival cooperation, especially the loan of UAE artifacts to the National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal and the upcoming joint archival exhibition at the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival in the UAE. They also welcomed India's participation as the partner country at the UAE Tolerance Festival in November 2026.

Both sides have decided to further expand collaboration across areas such as youth engagement, sports, arts, heritage, archives, literature, education, media, entertainment, and tourism.