Strengthening ties between India and the UAE ETv Bharat 16 Apr 2025 Maj Gen Harsha Kakar

https://www.etvbharat.com/en/!opinion/strengthening-ties-between-india-and-united-arab-emirates-enn25041503153

Strengthening ties between India and the UAE ETv Bharat 16 Apr 2025
The Dubai Crown Prince, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, visited India recently. He is also the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE. During the visit there were a slew of meetings, including those with the PM, defence, foreign as also the minister of industry and supply. A few agreements were also inked.
PM Modi tweeted after meeting him, ‘Glad to meet HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai. 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.’ India-UAE ties have been growing over the years.
The crown prince tweeted, ‘Our conversations reaffirmed the strength of UAE-India ties which is built on trust, shaped by history, and driven by a shared vision to create a future full of opportunity, innovation, and lasting prosperity.’ India has a diaspora of around 4 million in the UAE, majority of whom live and work in and around Dubai. The UAE is India’s third largest trading partner, its second largest export destination, and fourth largest source of FDI. India’s crude oil imports from the Middle East rose from 51% (December 2024) to 53.89% in January 2025. These need to be secure, which is why defence cooperation gains importance.
Being the defence minister of the UAE, the Crown Prince also held a delegation level discussion with the Indian defence minister, Rajnath Singh. A press release by the MoD stated, ‘The two leaders expressed satisfaction on the active Coast Guard to Coast Guard cooperation and committed to further deepen it by formalising the same through an MoU. They were convinced that close collaboration between defence industries should be an integral part of the bilateral cooperation.’
Rajnath Singh mentioned, ‘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. Both India and the UAE are committed to work towards peace and prosperity in the region.’ It is not that India and the UAE currently lack military engagement.
The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, on its website mentions on defence cooperation, ‘There have been regular high-level exchanges at the level of Service Chiefs, functional level exchanges and military education exchanges between the countries. The ships of the Navies of both countries have regularly made port calls enhancing bilateral defence co-operation.’
It adds, ‘India and UAE hold an Annual Defence Dialogue to discuss security and defence co-operation issues. Defence co-operation between the two countries is steered through a Joint Defence Co-operation Committee at the Ministry level and Naval Staff Talks at the HQ level.’ The intent is to enhance functional cooperation between the two sides.
India and the UAE have conducted joint naval and air power exercises in the past. Naval and coast guard ships of both countries have visited each other’s ports. India appointed a defence attaché to its Abu Dhabi mission since 2015, enhancing cooperation. India currently has a listening post in Oman and berthing rights at the Muscat naval base in the region. Coast guard vessels from both nations call in each other’s ports as also conduct joint exercises.
UAE and Indian delegations have participated in air shows held in both nations. The Indian navy’s actions against Somali piracy as also Houthi rebels displays a change from its traditional defensive approach to an offensive one and benefits its Middle East allies as they lack military power to curb these threats. Military intelligence sharing remains a cornerstone in defence ties.
Joint exercises between Indian armed forces and the UAE have enhanced interoperability as also highlighted ‘make in India’ equipment. It also projects India as a net security provider in the region. During the current visit, discussions were held on joint production of defence equipment under the ‘make in India’ and ‘make in the Emirates’ initiative. India also offered its indigenous Akash air defence missile systems to the UAE. Discussions have been ongoing on the UAE procuring Brahmos missiles.
Coast Guard cooperation was identified as a priority for enhancing security in the region. While the current state of the same was considered satisfactory, it was felt that it be strengthened by an agreement between both sides. It was needed as an additional MOU as a defence agreement already exists.
India is building its economic engagements in the region, more so as the IMEEC (India, Middle East, Europe Economic Corridor) takes root. The same is currently stalled with the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. India and the UAE are also members of the I2U2 (India, Israel, US and UAE grouping). Both are economic groupings with a strategic intent. These were launched by the Biden administration and remain supported by the current US dispensation.
The UAE and other Arab states are also members of the Indian Navy led Indian Ocean Naval Symposium. It was established in 2008 and is a biennial platform for navy chiefs of the Indian Ocean littoral to meet and discuss issues of common interest. PM Modi last visited the UAE in Feb last year where a bilateral investment treaty was signed.
To further push ties with the region, PM Modi is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia later this month. On the cards is a defence agreement including joint exercises and increased military exchanges amongst other subjects. India is also seeking to export military equipment. India’s growing proximity in the Middle East, including military agreements, reduce Pakistan’s influence, while enhancing pressure on it.
India and the UAE have a multifaceted relationship which includes trade, military diplomacy as also intelligence sharing. A number of those sought by Indian security agencies have been deported from the Middle East. Added is increased cooperation in areas of counter-terrorism and cyber security. The UAE also possesses the resources to fund defence research in India, which would benefit both nations. The recent visit will only enhance defence cooperation between the UAE and India.