New Delhi

United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is scheduled to arrive in India on Monday for an official visit at a time of heightened geopolitical activity in West Asia, including renewed diplomatic efforts by the United States on Gaza’s post-conflict governance.

The visit is taking place at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and follows a series of recent high-level exchanges between India and the UAE, the Ministry of External Affairs said. These include the visit of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India in September 2024 and the April 2025 visit of Dubai Crown Prince and UAE Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Sheikh Mohamed’s visit comes as US President Donald Trump prepares to move ahead with the second phase of the Gaza Peace Plan, under which Washington is seeking to establish a National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. The initiative aims to create a governance mechanism for stabilisation and reconstruction in the war-hit region.

Sources said the UAE President’s stop in India will be brief, lasting approximately two hours. He is expected to hold talks with Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi later in the day.

This will mark Sheikh Mohamed’s third official visit to India since assuming office as UAE President and his fifth trip to the country over the past decade, underscoring the growing intensity of engagement between the two nations.

According to a statement issued by the White House, the proposed Gaza governance structure will include an Executive Board responsible for key areas such as institution-building, regional coordination, reconstruction, investment mobilisation, funding mechanisms and long-term economic planning.

Prime Minister Modi has been invited by President Trump to join the proposed Gaza Peace Board. The White House said the Board would include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and Jared Kushner. Other members named include Apollo Global Management chief executive Marc Rowan and US Deputy National Security Adviser Robert Gabriel.

Trump is set to chair the Board, with Aryeh Lightstone and Josh Gruenbaum appointed as senior advisers to manage daily strategy and operations. Nickolay Mladenov has been named High Representative for Gaza, while Ali Sha’ath will head the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. Major General Jasper Jeffers will command the International Stabilisation Force. Additional members include Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Qatari diplomat Ali Al Thawadi and other international representatives.

UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy has welcomed the announcement of the second phase of the peace initiative and expressed pride in the UAE’s involvement in the Gaza Peace Board.

Sheikh Mohamed’s visit to India also comes amid sustained engagement between the two countries across civilian and military domains. Earlier this month, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi visited the UAE to deepen defence cooperation and enhance military-to-military ties. During the visit, he received a Guard of Honour from the UAE Land Forces and held discussions with senior military leadership.

General Dwivedi also toured key military facilities, received briefings on the structure and capabilities of the UAE Army, and interacted with officers and troops, highlighting the expanding defence partnership between the two nations.

In December, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar travelled to the UAE to co-chair the 16th India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting and the fifth round of the India-UAE Strategic Dialogue alongside Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The discussions reviewed the full range of bilateral cooperation, including trade, investment, energy, connectivity, defence, security, technology, health, education, culture and people-to-people ties, the MEA said.

These engagements are taking place against a backdrop of shifting regional dynamics in West Asia. Recently, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a defence agreement that reportedly treats an attack on either country as an act of aggression against both, though the details of the pact have not been made public.

Tensions have also emerged between Saudi Arabia and the UAE over developments in Yemen. Shortly before the Indian Army Chief’s visit to Abu Dhabi, Saudi forces conducted airstrikes against positions held by the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council in southern Yemen, even as Riyadh called for dialogue to prevent further escalation near its borders.

The Southern Transitional Council, which seeks an independent southern Yemen, launched a significant offensive in early December, capturing parts of Hadramout and pushing back Saudi-aligned government forces, reviving conflict in areas that had seen relative calm.

The UAE, however, has firmly denied any involvement in actions that could undermine Saudi Arabia’s security. In a statement reported by state news agency WAM, Abu Dhabi rejected allegations that it directed or pressured Yemeni factions to carry out military operations against Saudi interests.

India and the UAE maintain close and multifaceted ties anchored in strong political, economic and cultural cooperation. The two countries are among each other’s leading trade and investment partners, supported by mechanisms such as the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, the Local Currency Settlement system and the Bilateral Investment Treaty.

Energy cooperation remains a cornerstone of the relationship, including long-term supply arrangements. The MEA said Sheikh Mohamed’s visit will provide an opportunity for the two leaders to identify new areas of cooperation under the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and exchange views on regional and global issues where their perspectives largely align.

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India and the UAE established diplomatic relations in 1972, with embassies opening in each other’s capitals shortly thereafter. The two countries also work closely at the United Nations and participate together in several plurilateral groupings, including BRICS, I2U2 and the UAE-France-India trilateral. The UAE was invited as a guest country to the G20 Summit hosted by India.