Sheikh Hamdan to arrives in India today for first official visit as Crown Prince
New Delhi: As part of a diplomatic gesture to strengthen economic and strategic links, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, UAE Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence, will arrive in India on Tuesday on a two-day official visit. This is the first visit of Sheikh Hamdan to the country as Crown Prince and has been invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Crown Prince will be accompanied by a high-powered UAE delegation consisting of senior ministers, top government functionaries, and powerful business leaders. The visit reflects the fast-growing India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership as well as increasing convergence between the two countries in a wide array of sectors varying from defence and digital technology to energy security and climate action.
Sheikh Hamdan will be received by PM Modi at a working lunch during his New Delhi visit when both leaders will have in-depth discussions on increasing bilateral cooperation. He will also meet with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss regional security and defence relations.
After his activities in the national capital, the Crown Prince will head to Mumbai where he will be involved in a high-level business roundtable with top Indian and Emirati business leaders. The session is likely to be aimed at creating new synergies in growth sectors such as infrastructure, renewable energy, fintech, and innovation-based industries.
Sheikh Hamdan’s visit is seen as a timely affirmation of the strengthening India-UAE relationship, which has seen considerable momentum in recent years. Dubai, in particular, has historically served as a vital hub for India’s trade, cultural exchanges, and diaspora engagement. With more than 4.3 million Indians living and working in the UAE—many in Dubai—the people-to-people connection between the two countries is among the most vibrant in the world.
Principal sectors of interest on the visit include broadening the ambit of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which seeks to take bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030 from $85 billion during 2023-24. Areas like medicines, diamond cutting and polishing, and renewable energy equipment are likely to get a boost.
Energy security will be the other key area of the negotiations, with India seeking to seal long-term crude oil supply deals and intensify strategic petroleum reserves cooperation.
UAE is already providing about eight percent of the oil imports of India. DP World’s investment plans worth $5 billion in cold-chain logistics will also figure in the agenda, which will be focused on boosting agricultural exports.
In defence and security, both will likely draw a roadmap for mutual R&D in drone swarm technology and maritime security, supported by an innovation fund of $75 million.
Bilateral negotiations may also consider a possible air defence agreement and further strategic coordination through UAE’s membership in the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
Fintech collaboration and digital innovation will also be on the agenda. India and the UAE are making efforts to operationalise cross-border UPI-Arab Pay linkages to enable $26 billion of remittances annually. UAE’s $500 million anchor investment in India’s Semiconductor Mission and pilot testing of a Digital Dirham-Rupee mechanism to minimise forex dependence could also be discussed.
The visit is likely to produce a number of concrete results, such as MoUs on desert-capable agritech, reciprocal recognition of blue-collar workers’ skill certifications, and the inauguration of an India-UAE Green Hydrogen Alliance.
With the visit of Sheikh Hamdan, the two nations are set to take their already strong relations to a full, future-oriented partnership centred on innovation, sustainability, and inclusive growth.
