Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday welcomed UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Delhi airport during his brief visit to India. Sources confirmed to news agency ANI that the UAE President’s trip to India will be brief, lasting approximately two hours. His meetings with Prime Minister Modi are scheduled to take place in the national capital this evening.
The visit comes at a time of heightened tensions in West Asia, with strained Iran-US relations, ongoing instability in Gaza, and the unresolved conflict in Yemen involving Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Officials indicated that regional developments are likely to feature in the discussions, and several MoUs are expected 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.
PM Modi also shared pictures with the UAE President, including one showing the two leaders inside a car and another capturing them in a warm embrace.
The Ministry of External Affairs stated that the visit is at the invitation of PM Modi and builds on the strong momentum from recent high-level interactions. These include the visit of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, in September 2024, and the visit of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE and Crown Prince of Dubai, in April 2025.
The visit comes amid significant developments in West Asia, where US President Trump is preparing to launch Phase 2 of the Gaza Peace Plan. This phase aims to establish a National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.
This will mark Sheikh Mohamed’s third official visit to India since becoming President of the UAE, and his fifth visit to the country in the last ten years, underscoring the intensity and regularity of high-level engagements between New Delhi and Abu Dhabi.
