April 8, 2025 | New Delhi : Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s visit to India marks a new chapter in bilateral cooperation between the two nations, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday, highlighting the UAE’s key role in bolstering the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
“Dubai has played a key role in advancing the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This special visit reaffirms our deep-rooted friendship and paves the way for even stronger collaboration in the future,” Modi posted on social media following a meeting with the visiting leader in New Delhi.
Sheikh Hamdan, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, arrived in the Indian capital earlier in the day for a two-day official visit. He is expected to travel to Mumbai following his engagements in New Delhi.
India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also held a separate meeting with Sheikh Hamdan, describing it as “productive” and underscoring India’s commitment to deepening defence ties with the Gulf nation.
“For India, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the UAE is of immense priority,” Singh said in a social media post. “In the coming years, we are eager to work closely in areas such as defence cooperation, co-production and co-development projects, innovation and technology.”
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar welcomed Sheikh Hamdan at the start of his visit and expressed appreciation for the UAE’s positive sentiments towards India-UAE cooperation. India and the UAE have significantly expanded bilateral ties in recent years. Following Modi’s landmark visit to the UAE in 2015, relations were upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. In 2022, the two countries signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), boosting trade and investment flows.
Both sides have also emphasized shared commitments to regional peace and prosperity, with defence and technology cooperation emerging as key pillars of the partnership. No immediate comments were available from the UAE delegation on the meetings.
