PM Modi’s 7th visit to the UAE: aims to increase strategic relations between both the nations

Over the years, the UAE has become one of India’s most prominent partners in the Gulf region. The Prime Minister’s visit to the UAE on February 13, 2024, is significant as he is set to inaugurate a temple constructed by Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha in Abu Dhabi.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the President of the UAE for granting the land to construct the BAPS temple in Abu Dhabi. He also remarked that UAE president Mohammed Bin Zayed, popularly known as MBZ, said, as his brother, that it’s like coming to his own home and meeting with his family members. Since 2014, this is the 7th visit of Prime Minister Modi to the Arab emirates.

New agreements between India and the UAE

In a meeting yesterday between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Mohammed Bin Zayed, eight pacts were signed between both nations.

1. A bilateral investment treaty (which will further promote investments in both countries) and a comprehensive economic partnership agreement was signed.
2. A memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of electrical interconnection and trade was signed, which will promote new collaboration in the fields of energy security and energy trade.
3. An intergovernmental framework agreement on the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor was signed. Which will promote further regional connectivity. The corridor was announced last September during the G20 meeting in New Delhi.
4. MoU on cooperating in the field of digital infrastructure projects. Which will include the sharing of technical knowledge, skills, and expertise.
5. The cooperation protocol was signed, which will include the restoration and preservation of the archival material of the two countries.
6. A memorandum of understanding on the development of the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal, Gujarat, was signed between the two nations. 
7. Agreement on linking UPI (India) and AANI (UAE); this will facilitate seamless cross-border transactions between the two countries.
8. Agreement on interlinking domestic debit credit cards between RuPay (India) and Jaywan (UAE). This is an important step in developing financial sector cooperation between the two nations.

History of Bilateral Relations

The diplomatic relations between both the nations were established in 1972. The real boom in the bilateral relationship began in August 2015 when the Indian Prime Minister visited the UAE, which marked a new strategic partnership between the two countries. In 2017, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince was invited as a chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebration.

Economic relations and cultural ties

1. The Arab emirate is India’s third-largest trading partner and second-largest exporting nation. In 2022–23, bilateral trade relations between both countries reached USD 85 billion.
2. The Arab emirate is the 9th biggest investor in India.
3. The Arab emirate is featured in India’s top-priority six-country list. Under India’s free trade agreement policy.
4. It is an important state actor in India’s energy security.
5. Both nations are actively engaged in different regional groups, such as the India-Middle East-European Economic Corridor and I2U2. Which reflects the shared interest.
6. Indian cinema TV has a good viewership in the Arab emirate , especially for commercial Hindi, Malayalam, and Tamil films.

Challenges in India-UAE Relations

1. China’s economic influence in the UAE and its policy of chequebook diplomacy, which offers low-interest loans, have overshadowed Indian economic prospects in the UAE and further in the Middle East.
2. The UAE’s financial support for Pakistan raises serious questions. India raised the issue of the misuse of these funds to support cross-border terrorism.
3. Challenges related to the kafala system in the UAE, which grants employers considerable power over immigrant labourers and also presents significant human rights concerns.

Conclusion

since the establishment of Narendra Modi as the prime minister of India the bilateral relations between both the countries got a boost. the continuous engagement in the fields of economic, environment, culture, etc. has benefited both countries.