Bilaterals, Hindu temple opening and more: Why Modi's visit to UAE is crucial

The next two days are going to be busy for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is heading to the United Arab Emirates today for two days and will hold bilaterals, boosting cooperation in energy, ports, digital infrastructure and investment flows. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), it is the prime minister’s seventh visit to the UAE since 2015 and the third in the last eight months. Let’s take a look at the agenda of the PM’s visit and why this visit is significant. What to expect from PM Modi’s UAE visit In the UAE, the Prime Minister is expected to hold bilaterals with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the vice president, prime minister and defence minister of the UAE, inaugurate the grand BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi, and meet the diaspora. The announcement of the Prime Minister’s visit comes soon after UAE president Al Nahyan visited India in September for the G20 Leaders Summit and attended as the Chief Guest at the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in January. [caption id=“attachment_13601212” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024, in Gandhinagar, on 10 January, 2024. PTI[/caption] PM Modi has worked towards building stronger ties with the UAE ever since his landmark visit to the West Asian country in August 2015. The two countries are also among each other’s top trading partners with a bilateral trade of about $85 billion in 2022–23, according to official data. During the visit, PM Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with the UAE president, discussing ways to further deepen, expand, and strengthen the strategic partnership between the countries and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, according to the MEA. Following the talks, the two sides are likely to ink a number of agreements to shore up cooperation in several key areas. Modi and Al Nahyan are also likely to exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. The prime minister will also meet with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the vice president, prime minister, and defence minister of the UAE. At his invitation, the Indian premier will also participate in the World Government Summit 2024 on Wednesday in Dubai as the guest of honour and deliver a special keynote address at the summit. PM Modi will inaugurate the BAPS Mandir, the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. [caption id=“attachment_13717922” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Ambassadors and Diplomats from 42 countries visit BAPS Hindu Mandir, in Abu Dhabi, UAE. PTI[/caption] Modi is also set to give a speech to over 40,000 people today at a stadium event in Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sports City at an event called “Alhan Modi” (Welcome Modi in Arabic). For those who have watched India-UAE ties for the past ten years, this should come as no surprise. Why the visit is significant With the latest visit, PM Modi aims to focus on boosting cooperation in areas of energy, ports, fintech, digital infrastructure, railways and investment flows. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, addressing a press conference, said both sides are looking at firming up understandings in areas of ports, logistics, energy security, energy trade and digital domain, among others. He added the two sides are also examining possible cooperation in the areas of maritime heritage as well as fintech products and railways. “We are also looking to see if we can arrive at an understanding on investments in the field of digital infrastructure, arrangements for the protection and promotion of capital flows,” he said, adding that there may be some understanding for cooperation in the domains of ports and maritime sphere. [caption id=“attachment_13598252” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Prime Minister Narendra Modi with UAE president Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Ahmedabad airport Image Courtesy PTI[/caption] “Since digital cooperation between our two economies is an important element of the partnership, we are also looking to see if we can arrive at an understanding on investments in the field of digital infrastructure,” he said. Kwatra said the two sides are also examining possible cooperation in the areas of maritime heritage as well as on fintech products and railways. “Currently, the two sides are busy discussing various agreements that could be finalised during the visit,” Kwatra said, adding he was not in a position to share more details. How India-UAE relations have grown stronger India-UAE bilateral relationship have strong ties, dating all the way back to 3,000 BC. According to Moneycontrol, the two countries were a part of the trade trio of Meluha, which many scholars identified as the Indus Valley Civilisation, present-day Indian subcontinent, Magan (Oman and parts of the UAE), and Dilmun (Bahrain and parts of Saudi Arabia). Although evidence of this ancient trade can be found in the discovery of valuable goods and spices in Roman settlements along Egypt’s Red Sea coast, the relationship between the UAE and India has grown since HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan became ruler of Abu Dhabi in 1966 and the UAE Federation was founded in 1971. However, things changed when the IC 184 hijacking happened in December 1999. According to Shishir Gupta’s article in Hindustan Times, when the incident took place, “the Indian ambassador wasn’t even allowed to go into the air base where the hijacked flight was landed before it took off for Kandhar.” [caption id=“attachment_12998452” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] UAE is the fourth largest source of crude oil and the second largest source of LNG and LPG for India Image Courtesy ANI[/caption] Consequently, the article claims that as soon as PM Modi assumed office in India, he made it a point to establish relations with the Gulf nations. “The initial forays were made at the level of intelligence officials, at the levels of the national security advisor, at the level of then foreign secretary, S Jaishankar. When we reached out to the UAE, its leaders said very clearly that ‘you have been viewing us from the prism of Pakistan, we look at you bilaterally’. And that is where it all started. Then we started to engaged bilaterally,” the piece noted. Modi’s visit to the UAE in 2015 was the first by an Indian PM in 34 years, paving the way for subsequent visits and expanded cooperation in various spheres. Leading up to this visit, both leaders engaged in multiple high-level visits. In 2017, President Al Nahyan was even invited on Republic Day as a chief guest. By 2022, bilateral relations had been elevated, with both of them signing the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). According to ANI, the trade between India and the UAE has grown by 16 per cent to reach $85 million in 2022-23. Last year, numerous agreements and MOUs were signed during Modi’s visit to Abu Dhabi, covering areas such as local currency settlement, payment and messaging systems, renewable energy, and innovative healthcare. One of the UAE’s significant investments includes the opening of an office by the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority in GIFT City. The two countries also enjoy strong multilateral relations, with Modi given the special status of being the only Head of State/Head of Government last year to address the ceremonial opening of the COP28 Plenary for that national statements. With India’s support, the UAE became a permanent member of BRICS on 1 January this year, and joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as a Dialogue Partner in May last year. With inputs from agencies