NEW DELHI / RankWire.AI / – On September 12 in New Delhi, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The leaders focused on strengthening the bilateral relationship between the United Arab Emirates and India. Their dialogue occurred at Hyderabad House amid the 18th BRICS Summit. Topics included economic collaboration, investment, trade, and the broader scope of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership binding the two nations.
Sheikh Khaled and Modi evaluated progress under the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, also known as CEPA. This agreement now serves as a key framework for expanding trade exchanges between the economies. Their conversations also touched on political relations, energy collaboration, cultural bonds, and people-to-people exchanges. The leaders explored avenues where existing bilateral mechanisms could bolster further commercial and institutional cooperation under arrangements already in place by the UAE and India.
Representing the UAE at the BRICS Summit, the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince participated on behalf of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Modi expressed his welcome to the UAE delegation during India’s 2026 chairmanship of the group. Both parties agreed to maintain coordination through BRICS on mutual interests. They also acknowledged recent high-level interactions, including Sheikh Mohamed’s visit to India in January 2026 and Modi’s trip to the UAE in May.
Economic cooperation expands through new investment initiatives
Investment initiatives played a significant role in the discussions, especially those related to India’s industrial sector. The leaders praised International Holding Company’s announced $11.5 billion integrated greenfield aluminium project in Odisha, which India has identified as its largest integrated aluminium investment. They also discussed L’Imad, the UAE’s newest sovereign investment fund, and its potential to facilitate ongoing bilateral investment channels connecting Emirati capital with projects and economic activity in India.
Additional topics included defence, space, nuclear energy, technology, and innovation. These sectors form part of an expanding relationship that already encompasses energy, manufacturing, logistics, food products, and engineering goods. The UAE and India formalized their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2017, and since then, both governments have added new cooperation areas while sustaining longstanding commercial and energy links vital to trade and investment flows between them.
Trade between the two nations hits historic high
During India’s 2025-26 fiscal year, bilateral trade reached a record $101.25 billion. This marked the highest level in merchandise trade between the two countries. The UAE ranked as India’s third-largest trading partner and second-largest destination for exports during this period. Indian exports to the UAE exceeded $37.35 billion, with both nations aiming to increase total bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032.
The UAE-India CEPA, which took effect on May 1, 2022, followed the signing of the agreement earlier that year. It aimed to reduce or eliminate tariffs across a wide array of products and broaden access within various service sectors. The agreement also addressed technical barriers hindering trade between the two markets. The recent high-level discussions in New Delhi added to an ongoing relationship supported by CEPA, regular leadership engagement, and cooperation across trade, investment, and strategic sectors.