PM Modi receives UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed on brief India visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday received United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Delhi airport, underlining the importance India has attached to his visit.

Went to the airport to welcome my brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. His visit illustrates the importance he attaches to a strong India-UAE friendship. Looking forward to our discussions.@MohamedBinZayed pic.twitter.com/Os3FRvVrBc

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 19, 2026

According to the schedule released

by the Ministry of External Affairs, the UAE President will be in the national capital for less than two hours. During the visit, Modi and Al Nahyan are set to hold wide-ranging discussions.

People familiar with the visit said trade and investment, defence industry cooperation and energy initiatives are expected to be on the agenda of the talks. The situation in the Middle East is also likely to figure in the discussions.

The visit comes amid a volatile regional scenario marked by a sharp decline in Iran-US ties, simmering tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over Yemen, and an unsettled political situation in Gaza.

This is the UAE leader’s third official visit to India since assuming office and his fifth visit to the country over the past decade.

India and the UAE have seen a significant upswing in bilateral trade and people-to-people ties since the two countries signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement in 2022.