New Delhi

Former Indian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Sanjay Sudhir has described Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming UAE visit as “very significant”, especially against the backdrop of ongoing tensions in West Asia.

Speaking to ANI ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit, Sudhir said the trip sends a “strong symbol of support” at a time when the region is facing geopolitical instability and energy supply disruptions.

“This would be PM’s eighth visit to the UAE and the UAE President has visited India five times. It means more than once a year, our leadership has been meeting either in the UAE or in India,” he said.

Sudhir highlighted the growing strategic depth in bilateral ties, noting that relations have strengthened across generations through recent engagements involving the Crown Princes of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Prime Minister Modi will begin a five-nation tour from May 15 to 20, starting with the UAE, followed by visits to the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy.

The visit comes amid continued uncertainty in West Asia following the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran, which began on February 28 and has disrupted global energy supply chains.

Sudhir said the UAE remains India’s “anchor energy partner” in the Gulf and emphasised that bilateral cooperation has evolved beyond a simple buyer-seller relationship.

Referring to the UAE’s decision to leave OPEC, Sudhir said the weakening of producer cartels benefits large energy importers like India.

“The weakening of any cartel is good for us because we are the third-largest energy consumer and the second-largest energy importer,” he said.

He noted that the UAE currently has the capacity to produce 4.8 million barrels of crude oil per day and plans to expand production to 5 million barrels daily by 2027.

According to Sudhir, Indian and Emirati companies are likely to discuss long-term energy supply agreements during the visit.

He also pointed to the UAE’s importance in India’s LPG supply chain, saying the Gulf nation is India’s second-largest source of LPG.

“One of the discussions I can expect would be on augmenting supplies of LPG from the UAE on a consistent basis in the times to come,” he said.

Sudhir further highlighted the UAE’s role in India’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) programme, noting that it is the only country to have invested in India’s SPR infrastructure.

“They have invested about 5 million barrels in our SPR programme,” he said.

He also underlined the importance of LNG cooperation, noting that India already has long-term LNG supply contracts worth 4.5 million metric tonnes with the UAE.

Sudhir said the Fujairah terminal’s location outside the Strait of Hormuz adds strategic value to India’s energy security planning.

Addressing concerns over disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, he said India must continue planning for long-term contingencies even if the waterway eventually reopens.

“Hormuz is closed today, but it has never been closed in the past despite many crises. We have to start planning from today for the situation when Hormuz opens,” he said.

According to sources, two key Memorandums of Understanding related to LPG cooperation and Strategic Petroleum Reserves are expected to be signed during the visit.

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The Andhra mea

During the trip, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to meet UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss bilateral relations, energy cooperation, and regional developments.