Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Abu Dhabi on 15 May 2026 for an official visit to the United Arab Emirates, the first stop on a six-day, five-nation tour covering the UAE, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Italy. This was PM Modi’s seventh visit to the UAE since 2014, and UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan personally received him at Abu Dhabi airport. Writing on X, PM Modi expressed his appreciation: “I thank my brother HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for the special gesture of receiving me at Abu Dhabi airport. I look forward to our discussions towards furthering India-UAE ties across key sectors like energy, investment, supply chains and more.”
During the summit talks, PM Modi strongly condemned the recent attacks on the UAE and expressed India’s solidarity with the UAE leadership and people. He also acknowledged the UAE President’s care for the Indian community in the Emirates. Bilateral merchandise trade between the two countries crossed USD 100 billion for the first time in FY 2025-26, with both sides committing to doubling it to USD 200 billion by 2032.
The visit produced seven concrete outcomes. The first was a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL) and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). The agreement will enhance the UAE’s participation in India’s strategic petroleum reserves to 30 million barrels and establish strategic gas reserves in India, with potential collaboration on LNG and LPG storage facilities. A second agreement, between Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and ADNOC, addresses long-term LPG supply security to meet India’s domestic demand. This collaboration will strengthen India’s long-term LPG supply and reinforce the UAE’s position as one of India’s most trusted energy partners.
A framework for a Strategic Defence Partnership was also concluded. The framework will encourage joint partnerships, co-development, and greater industry engagement, promoting innovation and technology sharing in strategic sectors, with the broader objective of enhancing national and regional security cooperation. On maritime infrastructure, an MoU between Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) and Drydocks World (DDW) was signed for the establishment of a Ship Repair Cluster at Vadinar, Gujarat, advancing the Make in India initiative. A companion MoU involving the Centre of Excellence in Maritime and Shipbuilding (CEMS) was also signed for skill development in ship repair, supporting the Skill India Mission. In advanced technology, a term sheet between CDAC, India, and G-42, UAE, was signed for setting up an 8 Exaflop Supercompute Cluster, which will support India’s AI Mission. The UAE also pledged investments worth USD 5 billion in India, directed towards the infrastructure and banking sectors.
From Abu Dhabi, PM Modi has arrived in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, marking the second leg of his five-nation tour. He is scheduled to call on Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima and hold talks with Prime Minister Rob Jetten, covering areas including defence, security, innovation, green hydrogen, and semiconductors. The tour will subsequently take him to Sweden for the European Round Table for Industry, to Oslo for the 3rd India-Nordic Summit on 19 May, and finally to Rome for bilateral talks with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
