UAE president likely to arrive on Monday amid Gulf tensions, Iran

New Delhi: UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ) is expected to visit India on Monday as New Delhi and Abu Dhabi look to deepen their strategic partnership against the backdrop of rising tensions between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, as well as evolving regional dynamics involving Iran.

MBZ is likely to undertake a half-day visit. He shares a strong personal rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which has been a key driver of the rapid expansion in bilateral ties.

The visit would add to a series of high-level engagements between the two countries over the past decade. MBZ visited India in 2016 and 2017 as Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. In September 2023, he returned as President to attend the G20 Leaders' Summit, followed by participation in the second Virtual Global South Summit in November 2023. In January 2024, he visited Gujarat as the chief guest at the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit.


India-UAE relations have been elevated significantly over the past five years. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), signed in 2022, has emerged as a key catalyst. Bilateral trade touched new highs in 2025, with non-oil trade reaching about $37.6 billion in the first half of the year - a 34% year-on-year increase - putting both sides on track to achieve the target of $100 billion in non-oil trade by 2030.

The UAE is currently India's seventh-largest source of foreign direct investment, with cumulative inflows exceeding $22 billion since 2000.