Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s forthcoming visit to the United Arab Emirates will place energy security at the centre of discussions, with sources indicating that two significant Memoranda of Understanding in the areas of Liquefied Petroleum Gas and Strategic Petroleum Reserves are expected to be concluded.
This engagement forms part of a wider five‑nation tour scheduled from 15 to 20 May, which will also take him to the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Italy.
The UAE leg of the visit begins on 15 May, when the Prime Minister will meet President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to exchange views on bilateral relations, particularly energy cooperation, alongside regional and international issues of mutual interest.
The Ministry of External Affairs underscored the regularity of high‑level exchanges between the two countries. Secretary (West) Sibi George recalled that the UAE President had paid an official visit to India in January this year, while the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalid, visited in February to participate in the AI Impact Summit.
He emphasised that India and the UAE share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that has deepened across all spheres. During the upcoming visit, both leaders will explore avenues to further strengthen ties in trade, investment, energy, culture, and people‑to‑people connectivity.
Energy security will be a key theme, reflecting the importance of the 4.5 million‑strong Indian community in the UAE, which serves as a living bridge between the two nations.
MEA Additional Secretary (Gulf) Aseem R Mahajan highlighted the depth of energy cooperation, noting that the UAE was India’s fourth largest source of crude oil last year, meeting nearly 11 percent of national requirements. In the area of Liquefied Natural Gas, Indian companies and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Gas have entered into long‑term supply contracts amounting to 4.5 million metric tons per annum.
Recent agreements include contracts signed in February 2024 between IOCL, GAIL, and ADNOC, as well as a 10‑year supply arrangement between HPCL and ADNOC Gas commencing in 2028. These deals make India the largest buyer of LNG from the UAE.
The UAE is also India’s largest supplier of LPG, meeting nearly 40 percent of demand. Indian companies have invested over 1.2 billion US dollars in the upstream sector in the UAE, with Bharat PetroResources Limited confirming an oil discovery in Abu Dhabi’s onshore Block 1 in January 2026.
These investments mark the first upstream ventures by India in the region. The UAE was also the first country to partner with India in strategic petroleum reserves, with a 2018 agreement between ISPRL and ADNOC enabling the storage of over five million barrels of crude oil in Mangalore.
Mahajan further noted that the UAE is an active founding member of the Global Biofuels Alliance launched during India’s G20 presidency. Cooperation is expanding into renewable energy, with Masdar signing an agreement with the Government of Rajasthan in October 2024 to establish 60 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity.
These initiatives underscore the breadth of collaboration, extending beyond hydrocarbons into sustainable energy and biofuels, reflecting shared priorities for long‑term energy security and climate goals.
The visit is therefore expected to consolidate India’s energy partnership with the UAE, reinforce strategic reserves, and expand cooperation into renewables and biofuels, while also reaffirming the wider Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that spans trade, investment, culture, and the Indian diaspora’s role in strengthening ties.
ANI
