Last Updated on October 20, 2026 7:34 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Our Correspondent
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday said India-UAE bilateral trade had crossed the $100 billion mark since the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), highlighting the growing strength of economic ties between the two countries. He also expressed concern over the situation in the Gulf and stressed the need for dialogue and diplomacy.
Welcoming UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Mumbai, Jaishankar said the relationship was living up to its potential as a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, built on more than a decade of sustained engagement.
Despite global economic headwinds and regional challenges, the economic partnership continued to set new benchmarks, he said, noting that growing two-way investments reflected business confidence in each other’s economies.
Jaishankar added that cooperation in defence, energy and technology was increasingly acquiring a strategic dimension. He also underlined the strengthening of cultural cooperation and people-to-people ties, which continue to deepen connections between the two societies.
Referring to the regional situation, the External Affairs Minister said the developments in the Gulf remained a matter of deep concern. India and the UAE would continue to work together to support efforts aimed at promoting dialogue and diplomacy, he said.
Jaishankar reiterated India’s support for the “free, safe and unimpeded flow of trade, energy, and fertilizer”, underscoring the importance of uninterrupted supplies for regional and global economic stability.
Describing 2026 as a year of particularly intensive engagement at the leadership level, Jaishankar recalled UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to India in January. He also referred to Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s participation in the AI Impact Summit in February and the 18th BRICS Summit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also made his eighth visit to the UAE in May 2026, Jaishankar noted, reflecting the sustained high-level engagement between the two countries.
The External Affairs Minister thanked Sheikh Abdullah and the UAE leadership for looking after the welfare of the Indian community in the Gulf nation. Welcoming the visiting minister to what he described as his “second home”, Jaishankar reaffirmed the importance India attaches to its close and expanding partnership with the UAE.