India, UAE agree on defense framework, seal LNG deal, set $200 billion trade goal

India and the United Arab Emirates agreed to deepen their strategic partnership across defense, energy and advanced technology during a brief visit by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to New Delhi on Monday, setting a target to double bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032 and finalizing a long-term liquefied natural gas supply agreement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally received the UAE leader at the airport, an unusual gesture that Indian officials said reflected the closeness of ties as the two countries seek to anchor economic and security cooperation amid volatility in West Asia and shifting global trade routes.

“Went to the airport to welcome my brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. His visit illustrates the importance he attaches to a strong India-UAE friendship. Looking forward to our discussions,” Modi said in a post on X.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri described the visit as “short but an extremely substantive,” saying the two sides signed a letter of intent to work toward a framework agreement for a strategic defense partnership. “The talks between the leaders were characterized by the warmth and special friendship between the two leaders that has become a characteristic of this relationship,” he told reporters.

Misri said the defense initiative builds on expanding military exercises, staff-level talks and high-level exchanges over the past year and should be seen as a natural evolution of existing cooperation rather than a response to any specific regional conflict.

India and the UAE also concluded a 10-year LNG supply agreement under which Abu Dhabi National Oil Co Gas will supply 0.5 million metric tons of gas annually to Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd starting in 2028, reinforcing the UAE’s role as a key energy supplier as India seeks long-term fuel security.

Trade discussions focused on expanding the impact of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement signed in 2022, under which bilateral trade has crossed $100 billion. Officials said the two leaders agreed to raise ambitions and work toward doubling trade over the next decade, with a focus on energy, infrastructure and services.

The talks also covered cooperation in space infrastructure and commercialization, civil nuclear technologies including large reactors and small modular reactors, artificial intelligence and supercomputing, and data center expansion. India and the UAE agreed to explore the concept of a digital or data embassy aimed at hosting sensitive data under mutually recognized sovereignty arrangements.

“It is an interesting new concept,” Misri said, adding that regulatory and sovereignty issues would need to be addressed given the limited number of global precedents.

The UAE signaled interest in investing in India’s Dholera Special Investment Region in Gujarat, with potential projects spanning aviation, logistics, ports, rail connectivity and urban infrastructure, although officials said no investment figures have yet been finalized.

The two sides also signed an agreement on food safety and technical standards to facilitate agricultural and processed food exports from India to the UAE, a move officials said would benefit Indian farmers while supporting food security in the Gulf state.

The UAE president was accompanied by senior members of the royal family and cabinet, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Dubai and Defense Minister Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, along with senior officials overseeing national security, industry, artificial intelligence and international cooperation.

People-to-people ties featured prominently, with both leaders agreeing to expand youth exchanges and move ahead with plans for a House of India in Abu Dhabi. Modi also thanked the UAE leadership for its support to the roughly 4.5 million Indians living and working in the country.

Misri said the leaders exchanged views on regional developments including Gaza, Yemen and Iran, reiterating support for stability in West Asia and condemning cross-border terrorism, but declined to provide details.

The visit lasted around three hours, but officials said the breadth of agreements set the direction for India-UAE cooperation in the coming years.