President Sheikh Mohamed welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Abu Dhabi on Friday, as he began an official visit to the UAE.
Mr Modi was greeted at an official reception ceremony that included a guard of honour, while the national anthems of both countries were also played. The plane carrying Mr Modi had been met by a formation of UAE military aircraft as it entered the country's airspace, a gesture to welcome him to the Emirates.
Sheikh Mohamed and Mr Modi are to hold talks focused on the challenges posed by the Iran war and efforts to boost energy partnerships.
India has said Mr Modi will look to promote trade and investment during his visit. It said energy co-operation would be a focus of his high-level talks, taking place against the backdrop of regional conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Mr Modi's visit will also serve to enhance a decades-long alliance between the countries that dates back to the formation of the Emirates. The UAE is home to about four million Indian residents, its largest expatriate population, who have been instrumental in the growth of the nation.
The UAE signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with India in 2022, marking the first such deal by the Emirates. The Indian leader has arrived in the Emirates as part of a five-nation tour that will also take him to the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy in the coming days.
Key discussions
Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Co-operation, said on Thursday that UAE-India relations continued to go from "strength to strength". The UAE regards Mr Modi as a “key figure of friendship”, she told Indian news agency ANI.
Ms Al Hashimy added that the talks on Friday would address the effects of the closure of the strait. She said energy supplies were compromised around the world because the waterway had been “taken hostage” by Iran.
“You are having many people all around the world, including in India, really struggle with basic household needs. That is something that will certainly feature in our conversations,” she said.
Growing friendship
Mr Modi made a two-day visit to the UAE in 2024, where he addressed a crowd of 40,000 Indians at Zayed Sports City Stadium. He also spoke at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, before inaugurating the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi.
In January, Sheikh Mohamed travelled to New Delhi on a working visit, during which he held talks with Mr Modi. The leaders reviewed efforts to deepen co-operation in several sectors – from technology and artificial intelligence, to the economy and food security – during discussions at the Prime Minister's residence in the Indian capital.
