New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
The meeting at Hyderabad House focused on strengthening the longstanding India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with both sides discussing opportunities to expand cooperation across economic, strategic and emerging sectors.
At the beginning of the meeting, Sheikh Khaled conveyed the greetings of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Prime Minister Modi and expressed appreciation for the warm hospitality extended to the UAE delegation. Prime Minister Modi, in turn, conveyed his greetings to the UAE President and his wishes for the continued progress, prosperity and wellbeing of the UAE and its people.
Expanding India-UAE Economic Cooperation
The two leaders reviewed avenues for further cooperation under the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and discussed the continued growth of bilateral relations across various fields.
A significant point discussed was the announcement by the UAE’s International Holding Company of an investment of USD 11.5 billion in an integrated greenfield aluminium project in Odisha. According to India’s official statement, the project is expected to become India’s largest integrated aluminium investment and contribute to Odisha’s development as a global aluminium manufacturing hub.
The leaders also acknowledged the potential role of L’Imad, the UAE’s newest sovereign investment fund, in further deepening investment and economic cooperation between the two countries.
Cooperation in Strategic and Emerging Sectors
Prime Minister Modi and Sheikh Khaled also discussed opportunities to expand cooperation in several strategic and emerging areas, including defence, space, nuclear energy, technology and innovation.
The discussions reflected the expanding scope of the India-UAE partnership beyond traditional economic cooperation, with both countries looking to develop new areas of strategic and technological collaboration.
UAE’s Participation in BRICS
Prime Minister Modi appreciated the UAE’s active and constructive participation in BRICS under India’s chairship.
The two leaders welcomed the outcomes achieved during India’s BRICS chairship and agreed that India and the UAE would continue working closely through the BRICS platform to advance shared interests and priorities and further strengthen cooperation within the grouping.
A Continued High-Level Partnership
The meeting also recalled recent high-level exchanges between India and the UAE, including President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to India in January 2026 and Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the UAE in May 2026.
The discussions reaffirmed the regular leadership-level engagement between the two countries and highlighted the continued expansion of India-UAE cooperation across economic, strategic, technological and people-to-people areas.
The BRICS Summit meeting therefore provided another platform for India and the UAE to review their growing partnership and identify new avenues for cooperation while working together on shared priorities within BRICS.