12 June 2024

India and the UAE: “Partners in Progress”

DR. JOHN CALABRESE

Over the past decade, India’s ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have strengthened significantly across multiple domains. India’s “Think West” policy has strategically prioritized engagement with West Asia, with the UAE emerging as a cornerstone of this outreach in the Gulf region.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has personally championed the advancement of this bilateral relationship, making history with his 2015 visit — the first by an Indian prime minister in 34 years. Since then, Modi has made six additional visits to the UAE, including one in February this year, where he hailed India and the Emirates as “partners in progress.”

In the intervening time, India’s relations with the UAE have blossomed into a multifaceted partnership. Migration, business, and defense-security are the core pillars of this burgeoning relationship, which the Modi-led government has aimed to invigorate as part of broader efforts to re-establish India as a crucial player in West Asia and a rising power on the world stage.

No comments: