India and the United Arab Emirates are preparing to strengthen their partnership even further as trade between the two countries has crossed the $100 billion mark. The achievement comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s important visit to the UAE, where leaders from both nations are expected to discuss new agreements related to trade, energy, defence, investment, and technology.

The rapid growth in trade highlights how strongly relations between India and the UAE have expanded in recent years. What was once mainly an oil-based partnership has now developed into a broad strategic relationship covering multiple sectors of the economy.

Indian Ambassador to the UAE Deepak Mittal said the trade relationship has become stronger after the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2022. Since then, business activity between the two countries has increased significantly, helping trade cross the $100 billion level for the second year in a row.

The UAE is currently one of India’s largest trading partners, while India has become one of the UAE’s most important economic partners. Trade between the two countries includes crude oil, petroleum products, jewellery, food items, electronics, engineering goods, textiles, and technology services.

Energy cooperation remains one of the most important pillars of the relationship. India depends heavily on imported oil and gas to meet its growing energy needs, and the UAE continues to be a reliable supplier. During Prime Minister Modi’s visit, both countries are expected to discuss long-term energy agreements, including crude oil supplies, liquefied petroleum gas, and strategic petroleum reserves.

At the same time, the relationship is now expanding far beyond energy. India and the UAE are increasing cooperation in areas such as renewable energy, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, logistics, ports, financial technology, and infrastructure development.

The strong partnership is also supported by the large Indian community living in the UAE. Millions of Indians work and live there, contributing to the UAE’s economy while supporting families in India through remittances. The Indian diaspora has played an important role in strengthening cultural and people-to-people relations between the two nations.

Both countries are now working toward an ambitious goal of increasing bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032. To achieve this target, leaders are focusing on improving business cooperation, attracting investments, and strengthening supply chains.

Defence and security cooperation are also becoming increasingly important. India and the UAE have been expanding coordination in military training, cybersecurity, intelligence sharing, and regional security matters. Rising tensions in the Middle East have made such strategic cooperation more valuable for both sides.

Prime Minister Modi’s visit is expected to further strengthen political trust and economic ties between New Delhi and Abu Dhabi. Frequent high-level meetings between leaders of both countries have helped create a stable and long-term partnership.

The growing relationship between India and the UAE reflects changing global economic and political realities. As both countries continue to expand cooperation across different sectors, the partnership is becoming one of the most important strategic relationships in the Middle East and South Asia region.