Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during his official visit to India this week. This high-level engagement reflected the growing depth of the bilateral relationship, especially across defence, trade, and strategic industries.
Prime Minister Modi welcomed the Crown Prince and underlined the strong foundations of the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He noted that the visit strengthens the vision of both countries to elevate their long-standing ties to new heights. With over 4.3 million Indians living and working in the UAE, Modi acknowledged the Crown Prince’s leadership in supporting the welfare of the diaspora. Discussions focused on scaling up collaboration in areas including digital infrastructure, education, health, and sustainable energy.
The Crown Prince’s meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh placed special attention on expanding defence ties beyond military diplomacy. The two leaders reviewed current defence exchanges and looked at pathways for joint manufacturing, technology transfer, and training initiatives. There was a shared intent to take forward the discussions on co-development of advanced platforms, and to encourage greater industrial cooperation between private and public sector players in both nations.
India and the UAE have an existing framework for defence partnership dating back to 2003, when they signed a Memorandum of Understanding for defence cooperation. In 2017, an additional agreement on defence industries was put in place, encouraging collaboration in areas such as shipbuilding, maintenance, and supply chain resilience. The recent visit has brought renewed energy to these agreements, with a focus on implementation.
Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar also interacted with the Crown Prince and discussed shared regional interests and global challenges. The Crown Prince received a ceremonial welcome in Delhi and was greeted on arrival by Minister of State Suresh Gopi.
In Mumbai, Sheikh Hamdan led a high-powered UAE business delegation at a roundtable with Indian CEOs, investors, and industry leaders. The event served as a platform for exploring joint ventures in renewable energy, urban mobility, port infrastructure, logistics, and tech-enabled public services. Discussions also touched on green finance and cross-border investment platforms that could support both countries’ climate goals.
This visit is being viewed by analysts as part of a broader pattern of increased Gulf-Asia engagement, driven by mutual priorities such as economic diversification, supply chain security, and maritime stability. The UAE’s growing profile as an investor in Indian infrastructure and startups, along with India’s strategic role in Indo-Pacific security, has set the stage for a more layered partnership.
While trade and energy have long been cornerstones of the bilateral relationship, the emphasis is now shifting towards high-tech manufacturing, aerospace, clean tech, and defence production. The conversations held during the Crown Prince’s visit suggest that both sides are keen to build on recent progress under the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), signed in 2022.
Beyond economics, defence cooperation is rapidly evolving into a more structured and multi-dimensional engagement. Joint training exercises, naval visits, and officer exchanges are becoming more frequent. Both nations also share concerns around terrorism, cyber threats, and regional conflicts, making defence collaboration not just relevant but increasingly necessary.
With the Crown Prince’s first official visit drawing to a close, the optics and outcomes point to an evolving partnership grounded in shared ambition, trust, and a clear roadmap for future action. As the two countries move forward, the momentum from this visit is expected to accelerate both strategic alignment and practical cooperation across sectors.
India-UAE Defence Ties
India-UAE defence ties have evolved from limited interactions to a robust and multifaceted partnership over the past two decades. The bilateral defence framework was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding in 2003, followed by steady progress in security dialogue, military training, and maritime cooperation.
In recent years, the two countries have focused on expanding joint exercises, defence industry collaboration, and technology transfers. This includes agreements that allow for co-development and co-production of military platforms, especially in shipbuilding and aerospace. Naval exchanges have grown in frequency, with both countries engaging in joint patrols and port visits, highlighting shared interests in maritime security and the Indo-Pacific.
India sees the UAE as a strategic partner in countering terrorism and securing regional stability, while the UAE values India’s defence manufacturing capabilities and geopolitical heft in Asia. The defence relationship is increasingly intertwined with broader strategic cooperation, ranging from intelligence-sharing to cybersecurity. As the Gulf region repositions itself in global politics, India and the UAE are drawing closer with a shared vision for security, economic resilience, and technological growth.
The momentum from recent high-level visits, including those involving the Crown Prince and India’s top leadership, is expected to deepen defence cooperation into more structured, long-term engagements.
