PM Modi Receives UAE President Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan At Delhi Airport

Last Updated:January 19, 2026, 5:54 PM IST

UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan landed in India for talks aimed at strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan travelled in the same car from the Delhi airport. (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Delhi airport during the latter’s brief visit to India on Monday, underscoring the importance of the strategic partnership between the two nations.

The visit came at a time of heightened tensions in West Asia, marked by strained Iran-US relations, ongoing instability in Gaza, and unresolved conflict in Yemen involving Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Officials said regional developments are likely to be discussed during the talks, and several MoUs are likely to be signed.

“Went to the airport to welcome my brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. His visit illustrates the importance he attaches to a strong India-UAE friendship. Looking forward to our discussions,” PM Modi wrote on X.

The two leaders then left the Delhi Airport in the same car, a rare gesture similar to the one during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India.

PM Modi will host Al Nahyan at his official residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in the evening. The UAE President will only be in India for a few hours for his crucial visit and will depart on Monday. The meeting between the two leaders was earlier finalised in December 2025, but was delayed.

Both leaders are expected to sign agreements on investments in special economic zones, food security and nuclear cooperation. The situation in West Asia is also expected to feature prominently in discussions with the Indian leadership.

This is Sheikh Mohamed’s third official visit to India since taking office as president and his fifth visit to the country in the past decade. All eyes would be on a possible defence agreement between the two countries, in light of Saudi Arabia’s pact with Pakistan.

India and the UAE have seen a sharp rise in bilateral trade and people-to-people ties since signing a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2022. The agreement has helped boost trade flows and investment between the two nations.

The Ministry of External Affairs said the visit builds on recent high-level exchanges, including the visit of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India in September 2024. It also follows the visit of UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to India in April last year.

The MEA said the visit will allow both leaders to chart new directions for the strategic partnership and exchange views on regional and global issues of shared interest. “It will also enable an exchange of views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, where India and the UAE share a high degree of convergence,” it added.

“India and the UAE share warm, close, and multi-faceted relations, underpinned by strong political, cultural, and economic ties,” the MEA said. Both countries are among each other’s top trading and investment partners, supported by the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, the local currency settlement system and the bilateral investment treaty.

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