India’s Diplomatic Success: 9 Agreements Signed with the United Arab Emirates

January 22, 2026

Abhishek Vij

The UAE (United Arab Emirates) holds a significant position among the world’s Islamic countries. On Monday, India achieved a major diplomatic success by signing a total of nine agreements with the UAE, including those related to defense and trade. UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed arrived in India at 4:30 PM on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke all protocol and personally greeted him with a hug, saying, “I have come to receive my brother.” Zayed stayed in India for three and a half hours on Monday. During this time, nine agreements were finalized between India and the UAE. The goal is to double trade, meaning that if trade between the two countries is currently $100 billion, it will be increased to $200 billion. As a gift, Modi presented President Zayed with a carved swing from Gujarat and a Pashmina shawl.

For the President’s mother, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted a Pashmina shawl and Kashmiri saffron in a silver box. The intention was to strengthen relations with the UAE. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that there will now be several trade and investment initiatives with the UAE. These include India Mart, a virtual trade corridor, and the India-Africa SETU. UAE companies DP World and First Abu Dhabi have been given permission to operate in Gujarat. Both countries decided to work on the interconnection of their national payment platforms.

The decision was made not only to increase trade but also to jointly combat terrorism. The situation in the Middle East is currently very unstable. There is an ongoing conflict between Iran and the US. Tensions are rising between the UAE and Yemen. The situation in Gaza is also troubling. In this situation, the agreements between India and the UAE are very important because they also include a 10-year agreement at the level of petroleum companies in India. The UAE is a very rich region in terms of crude oil. The US has adopted a very strict stance on buying oil from Russia. Four months ago, an agreement was signed between Pakistan and the UAE, and now a defense partnership has been established with India, which is significant. In this defense partnership, both countries will cooperate in the defense industry.

They will develop modern technology, provide cyber security training, and work hand-in-hand in counter-terrorism activities. This agreement can be considered an achievement. Pakistan is a country that supports terrorism, while the UAE and India are signing an agreement to cooperate against terrorism. Both countries have decided to increase cooperation in the nuclear energy sector. Now, the UAE will also sell five lakh metric tons of LNG to India. The UAE will also invest in the international airport and port in Dholera, Gujarat.

A new beginning has been made in India-UAE relations. We are calling the India-UAE agreements important because, before this, Pakistan was trying to increase its influence in the Islamic world by forging close ties with the UAE. India is a huge market with a population of 1.42 billion people and cannot be ignored. Why would the UAE limit its development and investment and only embrace Pakistan? The agreements between India and the UAE clearly show that religious narrow-mindedness has no place on the path to progress.

India’s approach to strengthening relations with Middle Eastern countries is clear because these countries have oil reserves, and India imports 85 percent of its oil requirements. A multilateral agreement between India and a large and prosperous country in the Middle East is very significant.