India and United Arab Emirates (UAE) strengthen strategic partnership during President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's visit on January 19, 2026

Key facts

• India and the UAE aim to double bilateral trade to over $200 billion by 2032, from $84 billion in 2023–24, with focus on MSMEs and platforms like Bharat Mart.
• A long-term LNG supply deal was signed for 0.5 million metric tonnes annually; the UAE is India’s second-largest LNG supplier after Qatar.
• A Letter of Intent was signed to work towards a Strategic Defence Partnership Framework, covering defence industrial cooperation, advanced technologies, and cyber security.
• Both sides agreed to cooperate in advanced nuclear technologies, including large reactors and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), building on India’s SHANTI Act, 2025.
• Artificial Intelligence identified as a priority area, with agreement on setting up a supercomputing cluster in India, UAE investments in data centres, and exploration of a ‘data embassy’ concept.
• Letters of Intent were signed for space cooperation and infrastructure development, including joint space infrastructure and UAE participation in the Dholera Special Investment Region (airport, port, rail, energy, smart city).
• A food safety agreement was signed to boost Indian agricultural exports to the UAE, alongside broader strategic cooperation during UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit on January 19, 2026.