Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on an official visit to the United Arab Emirates, touching down in Abu Dhabi to a warm reception from His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. The visit underscored the strong bilateral ties between the two nations, marked by a ceremonial welcome and high-level discussions aimed at enhancing cooperation across various sectors.
During the one-on-one and delegation level talks, Prime Minister Modi and President Al Nahyan reviewed the existing Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, emphasizing its expansion into new domains such as trade, investment, digital infrastructure, fintech, energy, and culture. The leaders exchanged agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to solidify cooperation in several key areas:
- A Bilateral Investment Treaty aimed at bolstering investments in both countries.
- An MoU on electrical interconnection and trade to facilitate collaboration in energy security and trade.
- An Intergovernmental Framework Agreement on the India-Middle East Economic Corridor to enhance regional connectivity.
- Cooperation protocols in the fields of digital infrastructure, archival material restoration, heritage, and museums to foster extensive bilateral cooperation.
- Agreements on interlinking payment platforms (UPI and AANI) and domestic debit/credit cards (RuPay and JAYWAN) to facilitate seamless cross-border transactions and financial sector cooperation.
- Furthermore, Prime Minister Modi commended the launch of the UAE’s domestic card JAYWAN, based on the digital RuPay credit and debit card stack, as a significant step in financial sector collaboration. The leaders also discussed the strengthening of energy partnership, acknowledging the UAE’s role as a major source of crude, LPG, and LNG supplier to India.
Prior to the visit, agreements were signed between RITES Limited and Abu Dhabi Ports Company, as well as the Gujarat Maritime Board and Abu Dhabi Ports Company, aimed at enhancing port infrastructure and connectivity between the two countries.
Expressing gratitude, Prime Minister Modi thanked President Al Nahyan for his personal support and the allocation of land for the construction of the BAPS Temple in Abu Dhabi. Both leaders acknowledged the temple as a symbol of the deep-rooted cultural bonds and friendship between the UAE and India, reflecting the UAE’s commitment to harmony, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence on a global scale.
Prime Minister Modi’s visit reaffirmed the commitment of both nations to strengthen their strategic partnership and explore new avenues for collaboration, reflecting the shared vision of prosperity and mutual growth.
