Prime Minister Modi also visited Abu Dhabi last year

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to the UAE starting today is built on the strong pillars of bilateral relations and economic cooperation.

Since July 2023, India and the UAE have exchanged high-level visits five times, and relations between the two countries have reached a new high.

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Abu Dhabi last year, several MoUs were signed covering areas such as local currency settlement, payments and messaging systems, renewable energy and innovative healthcare.

When UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Gujarat this year, several agreements were signed again.

The two countries are one of each other’s largest trading partners, with bilateral trade volume reaching about $85 billion in 2022-23, according to official data. The UAE is also among the top four investors in India in terms of foreign direct investment in 2022-23.

When India held the presidency of the G20, the UAE was invited to participate in the G20 summit as a special guest country. In February 2023, the India-UAE-France (UFI) trilateral was officially launched.

With active support from India, the UAE joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a dialogue partner in May 2023. The UAE also joined the BRICS on January 1 with support from India.

Defense cooperation between India and the UAE has also been on the rise in recent years. In January 2024, the first India-UAE bilateral army exercise “Desert Cyclone” was held in Rajasthan.