UAE President welcomes Indian Prime Minister as he begins official visit

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday as he kickstarts a five-nation tour in the UAE.

An official reception ceremony was held for Modi, featuring performances of the national anthems of both countries and a guard of honour.

The Indian prime minister's aircraft was also escorted by the UAE's military air forces to the airport as a gesture of welcome. 

During talks, Sheikh Mohamed and Modi explored opportunities to strengthen cooperation within the framework of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the UAE and India.

The leaders also reviewed the significant progress in collaboration across key sectors, including economy, investment, energy, space, food security, technology and artificial intelligence.

They also exchanged views on a number of issues of mutual interest, particularly developments in the Middle East and their serious implications for regional and international peace and security, as well as their impact on maritime security, energy supplies and the global economy.

Modi reiterated India’s condemnation of the Iranian attacks targeting civilians, civilian facilities and infrastructure in the UAE, noting that they constitute a violation of sovereignty and international norms and laws.

In a message posted on X, Modi thanked Sheikh Mohamed "for his gracious gesture in receiving me at Abu Dhabi Airport", adding that he looked forward to the "discussions aimed at strengthening the ties between India and the UAE across key sectors, such as energy, investment, supply chains and more". 

أتوجه بالشكر إلى أخي صاحب السمو الشيخ محمد بن زايد آل نهيان، رئيس دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة، على لفتته الكريمة باستقبالي في مطار أبوظبي. وإنني أتطلع إلى مباحثاتنا الرامية إلى تعزيز الروابط بين الهند والإمارات عبر قطاعات مهمة، مثل الطاقة والاستثمار وسلاسل التوريد وغيرها.… pic.twitter.com/usOIZxG7HA

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 15, 2026