Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday personally received United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Delhi airport, underlining the significance New Delhi attaches to his visit.
According to the schedule released by the Ministry of External Affairs, the UAE President is in the national capital for less than two hours. Despite the short duration, the visit is being seen as diplomatically important given the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s visit comes at a time when the region is witnessing heightened volatility due to deteriorating Iran United States relations, ongoing tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over Yemen, and the unsettled political environment in Gaza.
The UAE President and Prime Minister Modi are set to hold wide ranging discussions shortly. Officials familiar with the visit said the talks are expected to cover trade and investment ties, defence industry cooperation and energy related initiatives. Developments in the Middle East are also likely to be discussed.
This marks Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s third official visit to India since assuming office and his fifth trip to the country in the past decade. Bilateral relations between India and the UAE have strengthened significantly in recent years, particularly after the two countries signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement in 2022, leading to a sharp rise in trade and people to people engagement.
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