UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed arrives in New Delhi on official visit 

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in India today for a brief official visit. According to an ANI report, the visit will last around two hours, with talks between the two leaders scheduled in the national capital this evening.

Soon after his arrival, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his family at his residence at Lok Kalyan Marg. As part of the welcome, the Prime Minister presented traditional Indian gifts to the visiting leaders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PM Modi gifted Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan a Royal Carved Wooden Jhula, a hand-carved wooden swing from Gujarat. The swing features traditional floral designs and reflects the craftsmanship of Indian artisans. In Gujarati culture, the jhula symbolises family bonding and togetherness. The gift also connects with the UAE’s decision to mark 2026 as the Year of Family.

The Prime Minister also presented the UAE President with a Pashmina shawl kept in an ornate silver box. The Pashmina shawl is handmade in Kashmir using fine wool and is known for being soft and warm. The silver box was crafted in Telangana, highlighting India’s handloom and handicraft traditions.

PM Modi also gifted H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi a Pashmina shawl in an ornate silver box. She was also presented Kashmiri saffron in a silver box. Grown in the Kashmir Valley, Kashmiri saffron is known for its deep colour and strong aroma.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the visit is taking place at the invitation of Narendra Modi and comes amid a steady run of high-level political and military exchanges between New Delhi and Abu Dhabi. 

This will be Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s third official visit to India since assuming office as President of the United Arab Emirates and his fifth visit to the country over the past decade, underlining the growing intensity of top-level engagement between the two sides. 

The timing of the visit coincides with moves by the US under President Donald Trump, to initiate Phase 2 of the Gaza Peace Plan. As part of this phase, Washington is working to set up a National Committee for the Administration of Gaza and has reached out to key global leaders to participate in the process. 

According to the White House, the proposed Executive Board will oversee portfolios central to Gaza’s stabilisation and long-term development, including governance capacity building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding, and capital mobilisation. Prime Minister Modi has been invited by President Trump to be part of the Gaza Peace Board. 

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s visit to India also follows a series of recent engagements spanning both civilian and military leadership. On January 4, Chief of the Army Staff Upendra Dwivedi paid an official visit to the UAE to strengthen defence cooperation and military-to-military ties, during which he was accorded a Guard of Honour by the UAE Land Forces. The Army Chief met senior UAE Armed Forces leadership, including the Commander of the UAE Land Forces, received briefings on the structure and capabilities of the UAE Army, and visited key military establishments. 

In December, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited the UAE to attend the 16th India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting and the fifth round of the India-UAE Strategic Dialogue, co-chaired with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE. According to the MEA, discussions covered trade, investment, energy, connectivity, defence, security, development partnership, technology, health, culture, education, and people-to-people ties. 

These exchanges have taken place against the backdrop of shifting regional dynamics in West Asia. In recent months, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signalled a collective security approach by indicating that attacks on one would be treated as aggression against both. Tensions have also surfaced between Saudi Arabia and the UAE in Yemen, where Saudi airstrikes targeted positions held by the reportedly UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council shortly before the Indian Army Chief’s visit. 

India and the UAE share close, multi-dimensional ties anchored in strong political, economic, and cultural links. The two countries are among each other’s top trading and investment partners, supported by frameworks such as the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, the Local Currency Settlement system, and the Bilateral Investment Treaty. They also maintain a strong energy partnership, including long-term supply arrangements. 

According to the MEA, the UAE President’s visit will allow the two leaders to chart new areas of cooperation under the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. India and the UAE established diplomatic relations in 1972 and cooperate closely across multilateral platforms including BRICS, I2U2, and the UAE-France-India Trilateral. The UAE was also invited as a Guest Country to the G20 Summit held under India’s Presidency. 

(With inputs from ANI)