Modi, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince review strategic ties, welcome $11.5bn Odisha aluminium project
prime minister, Narendra Modi meets Abu Dhabi crown prince, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in New Delhi. Image courtesy: X.com/@PMOIndia
New Delhi: The prime minister, Narendra Modi, met the Abu Dhabi crown prince, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in New Delhi on Saturday on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit, with the two leaders reviewing the India-UAE comprehensive strategic partnership and welcoming an $11.5 billion integrated greenfield aluminium project in Odisha.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a readout that the partnership remained anchored in political, cultural, commercial, energy and people-to-people ties. Modi and Sheikh Khaled also recalled the UAE president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s, visit to India in January, and Modi’s visit to the UAE in May, reflecting the regular pace of high-level engagement.
The leaders welcomed the announcement by the UAE’s International Holding Company (IHC) to invest in the $11.5 billion Odisha aluminium project, which the MEA described as India’s largest integrated aluminium investment. The project is expected to help position Odisha as a global aluminium manufacturing hub.
They also noted the potential role of L’Imad, Abu Dhabi’s newest sovereign investment fund, in deepening economic engagement between the two countries. Opportunities to expand cooperation in strategic and emerging sectors, including defence, space, nuclear energy, technology and innovation, were also discussed.
Economic ties have expanded sharply since the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) came into force in May 2022. According to the Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi, bilateral trade reached $101.25 billion in FY 2025-26, making the UAE India’s third-largest trading partner and second-largest export destination. Indian exports to the UAE exceeded $37.35 billion during the year.
During Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s January visit, the two sides set a target of doubling bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032. RNA Media had earlier reported on the expansion of cooperation across defence, energy, artificial intelligence, railways and space during that visit, as the relationship widened beyond traditional trade and energy ties.
BRICS cooperation expands
Modi appreciated the UAE’s active and constructive participation in BRICS under India’s 2026 chairship. The two leaders welcomed the outcomes achieved during India’s chairship and agreed to continue working closely through the grouping to advance shared interests and strengthen BRICS cooperation.
The UAE became a full BRICS member in January 2024. The state-run Emirates News Agency (WAM) said the membership supported the country’s push to widen trade and investment partnerships and strengthen its role as a global logistics hub. UAE non-oil trade with BRICS members exceeded $312 billion in 2025, while its wider CEPA programme has expanded to 38 agreements, including with India.
Sheikh Khaled is leading the UAE delegation at the summit on behalf of the UAE president. The MEA had welcomed him on Friday, saying the visit would provide another opportunity to strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership. He was received at the airport by the minister of state for external affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh.
Earlier on Saturday, Modi also held separate bilateral meetings with the Ethiopian prime minister, Abiy Ahmed Ali, and the Malaysian prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, at Hyderabad House.
The MEA said Saturday’s meeting reaffirmed the tradition of regular leadership-level engagement and the generational continuity underpinning India-UAE relations.
