New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to make a brief stopover in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in May while travelling for a four-nation tour of Europe, sources have said in New Delhi.
This short visit, lasting a few hours, will come at a crucial time, with the UAE all set to leave OPEC and OPEC+ from May 1. These two producer blocs have historically played a major role in influencing global crude prices through coordinated output decisions.
The UAE’s move will be closely watched by major energy importers, including India. Changes in the UAE’s energy positioning could create new opportunities in pricing, supply arrangements and long-term partnerships for New Delhi, which has been working to diversify crude import sources amid global uncertainty, as reported by News 18.
India and the UAE have had a series of diplomatic engagements over the last few months, particularly after the Middle East crisis.
UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, popularly known as MBZ, visited India in January this year. This was followed by a high-level outreach by India in April, when National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar travelled to the UAE.
PM Modi has always had close ties with the UAE. He visited the country in 2022 and met Al Nahyan to convey condolences on the passing of former UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The trip also included discussions on strengthening trade, investment, technology cooperation and regional security, while reinforcing the close personal rapport between the two leaders.
Discussions during the brief stopover in May could touch on regional security, investment flows, food corridors, digital payments cooperation and progress under the India-UAE free trade agreement framework, apart from energy.
