UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Makes 3-Hour Official Visit to India
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed made a rare three-hour visit to India on PM Modi’s invitation. The visit strengthened India–UAE ties in trade, energy and defence.
The President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, made a rare and very short official visit to India on 19 January 2026. The visit lasted only about three hours, which was even less than the travel time from the UAE. Still, the visit included important discussions and major decisions.
The trip was not planned earlier and took place on the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This was Sheikh Mohamed’s third official visit as UAE President and his fifth visit to India in the last ten years. This clearly showed the strong and deep relationship between India and the UAE.
Since officials from both countries had already cleared the agenda in advance, the leaders focused directly on decision-making instead of long meetings or public events. Another special moment was when Prime Minister Modi personally welcomed the UAE President at the airport and embraced him, highlighting the friendship and brotherhood between the two nations.
Most discussions were held privately at the Prime Minister’s residence, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi. During the meeting, both countries agreed to take their partnership to a new strategic level. They set a target to double bilateral trade to more than USD 200 billion by 2032.
A long-term LNG energy deal was finalised, under which the UAE will supply liquefied natural gas to India for ten years starting in 2028. Cooperation was also expanded in civil nuclear energy and space. A Letter of Intent was signed for a Strategic Defence Partnership covering advanced technology, cyber security, defence training, special operations, and counter-terrorism.
Both sides also agreed on major investments in Gujarat, especially in the Dholera Special Investment Region and GIFT City. These plans include an airport, port, smart city, railway links, and energy infrastructure. The UAE will also explore investments in data centres, supercomputing, and financial services across India.
The visit sent a strong geopolitical signal of growing alignment between New Delhi and Abu Dhabi. As the visit ended, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar accompanied the UAE President to the airport.
