India-UAE ties: EAM Jaishankar meets UAE envoy as trade crosses $100 billion
A diplomatic meeting in New Delhi on November 10 has put the spotlight back on one of India’s most consequential partnerships in West Asia. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met UAE Ambassador to India Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi to discuss ways to deepen cooperation and take the two countries’ strategic partnership forward.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said he was “Glad to receive Ambassador H.E. Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi of the UAE today”, adding that the two had discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation and their strategic partnership.
The meeting comes as India and the United Arab Emirates continue to maintain regular contact at political and diplomatic levels. Their engagement covers trade, investment, energy, defence, technology, infrastructure and cultural exchanges.
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India-UAE trade crosses $100 billion as both sides set bigger target
The economic scale of the relationship offers a clear indication of why the partnership matters. According to figures published by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, bilateral trade reached approximately $101.25 billion in the 2025-26 financial year, up from around $100.05 billion in the previous fiscal year.
The two countries are now working towards a much larger goal: taking bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), signed in February 2022 and implemented from May that year, has been a key part of this effort.
Investment is another major pillar. At the 14th India-UAE High Level Joint Task Force on Investments meeting in Mumbai on September 28, the two sides reviewed projects and opportunities in energy, infrastructure, technology, artificial intelligence, logistics and financial services. The meeting also discussed ways to make cross-border investment easier and address concerns faced by businesses.
The partnership has also received a push from recent high-level visits. Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to the UAE in May 2026, while UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited India in October for talks with Jaishankar. The two ministers discussed cooperation across several sectors, including trade, investment, education and culture.
UAE envoy celebrates first Diwali in India
Beyond official meetings and trade figures, the relationship also has a strong people-to-people dimension. Al Nuaimi offered a glimpse of this on November 7, when he celebrated his first Diwali in India with members of the UAE Embassy in New Delhi.
The embassy gathering featured illuminated decorations, a floral rangoli and traditional diyas. In a video shared on X, embassy staff and their families were seen lighting lamps and posing for a group photograph. “My first Diwali in India was made all the more special with a lovely and warm celebration alongside members of the UAE Embassy in New Delhi,” Al Nuaimi wrote. He described the occasion as an opportunity to share in the festival’s joy and traditions, before wishing everyone a happy Diwali.
The celebration was a cultural moment, but it also reflected a broader feature of India-UAE relations: the connections between their people. A large Indian community lives and works in the Emirates, while cultural and social exchanges continue to strengthen ties between the two countries.
As New Delhi and Abu Dhabi pursue an ambitious trade target and expand cooperation into emerging sectors, such exchanges remain an important part of a partnership that extends well beyond government-to-government diplomacy.
(With inputs from ANI)