UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed is visiting India for his third official trip since assuming office.
Talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi will focus on expanding the India–UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and trade ties.
The visit comes amid regional geopolitical tensions in West Asia, including developments in Yemen.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday announced that United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will visit India today following an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This will be the UAE President’s third official visit to New Delhi since assuming office, the MEA said in a statement.
The visit follows a series of high-level diplomatic engagements between the two countries, including the visit of Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, in 2024, and the April 2025 visit of Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Deputy Prime Minister, Defence Minister, and Crown Prince of Dubai, the ministry added.
1 January 2026
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New Delhi and Abu Dhabi are among each other’s principal trade and investment partners, with ties strengthened through mechanisms such as the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), the Local Currency Settlement Framework, and the Bilateral Investment Treaty.
“The visit will provide an opportunity for the two leaders to chart new frontiers for the India–UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. It will also enable an exchange of views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, where India and the UAE share a high degree of convergence,” the MEA statement said.
During the day-long visit, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed is expected to hold discussions with Prime Minister Modi on strengthening bilateral cooperation and exploring new strategic partnership opportunities.
The visit also comes against the backdrop of rising tensions between the UAE and Saudi Arabia in Yemen, The Indian Express reported. India maintains close ties with both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, as the two West Asian powers increasingly compete for influence in the region and in Africa, with Yemen emerging as a key flashpoint. Geopolitical tensions escalated in December 2025 after UAE-backed forces launched an offensive to seize oil-rich provinces, at times clashing with Saudi-backed units, reports said. The situation further worsened after a Saudi-led airstrike struck a UAE shipment at the port of Mukalla.
Bilateral trade between India and the UAE crossed $100 billion in FY25, making the UAE India’s third-largest trading partner and second-largest export destination. The UAE has also welcomed the launch of the second phase of the comprehensive Gaza peace plan, amid Washington’s invitation to New Delhi to join the proposed “Board of Peace” on Sunday.
