India, UAE sign letter of intent for strategic defense partnership
20 Jan 2026

India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have taken their bilateral relations to new heights by signing a letter of intent for a strategic defense partnership.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for a visit that lasted just over three hours.

The visit resulted in several key agreements, including one on space cooperation and another on liquefied natural gas (LNG) procurement.

India, UAE aim to double bilateral trade by 2032
Trade expansion

The two countries also agreed to double their bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032.

Other agreements included the establishment of a supercomputing cluster in India and cooperation on civil nuclear energy.

The defense letter of intent is likely to lead to a Strategic Defense Partnership Framework Agreement, enhancing cooperation in areas such as defense industrial collaboration, cybersecurity, and counter-terrorism.

UAE seeks to diversify defense partnerships
Strategic shift

The UAE has been looking to diversify its defense partnerships beyond traditional Western suppliers, with an intent to preserve its strategic autonomy.

The joint statement from the meeting emphasized respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Both leaders condemned terrorism in all forms and reiterated that no country should provide safe haven to terrorists.

India-Middle East-Europe Corridor discussed during meeting
Corridor talks

Modi and Al Nahyan also discussed the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) initiative, which aims to boost trade and energy flows between the three regions.

The leaders announced plans for UAE companies First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and DP World to set up offices in Gujarat's GIFT City.

They also agreed to explore Digital Embassies under mutually recognized sovereignty arrangements.