India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday (15 May 2026) signed several important agreements related to petroleum reserves, long-term LPG supply, defense and shipping, with Abu Dhabi pledging a total investment of US $ 5 billion in India. Amidst the increasing conflict in West Asia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held high-level talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Talks were held on these 6 agreements

According to an official statement, these six agreements also include a framework related to strategic defense partnership, which focuses on defense industrial cooperation, technology sharing, innovation and regional security cooperation. Under this, both the countries have agreed to explore possibilities of joint development of military equipment besides increasing cooperation in many other important areas.

UAE will deposit 30 million barrels of oil in India

According to the statement, Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (the public sector company responsible for maintaining the country’s strategic petroleum reserves) has signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company for the purpose of ‘strategic cooperation’. According to the statement, this will increase the UAE’s share in India’s strategic petroleum reserves to 30 million barrels and strategic gas reserves will be established in India.

A separate agreement between Indian Oil Limited Company and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company will provide new opportunities in the sale and purchase of LPG, including long-term supply of the fuel and entering into a long-term sale-purchase agreement between the two companies. The two sides also signed a ‘Strategic Cooperation’ agreement in LPG, aimed at ensuring long-term supply of the most widely used cooking gas in India.

There will be investment in these areas

Prime Minister Modi described the agreements signed between the two sides as important in important areas like energy, defence, infrastructure, shipping and advanced technology. The Ministry of External Affairs said the investment commitment of US$5 billion includes a plan by Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and India’s National Infrastructure and Investment Fund to explore investment opportunities of up to US$1 billion in India’s infrastructure sector.

According to the ministry, ‘Emirates NBD’ will invest US $ 3 billion in RBL Bank, while UAE-based International Holding Company will invest US $ 1 billion in India’s Samman Capital. India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, ‘In the area of ​​investment, the UAE has traditionally been an important investor in India. It is the seventh largest investor overall in India in the last 25 years.

The meeting of the Prime Minister and Al Nahyan took place soon after Modi reached UAE on the first leg of his five-nation tour. According to the official statement, both sides have agreed to deepen defense industrial cooperation and cooperate on innovation and advanced technology, training, exercises, maritime security, cyber defence, secure communications and information exchange.

Agreement signed to promote AI

The ministry said the other agreement pertains to setting up a ship repair center in Vadinar, Gujarat and promotion of ports and coastal infrastructure, while the fifth agreement pertains to arrangements for skill development in ship repair. It said that another agreement has been signed, which is related to setting up a cluster of supercomputers to boost India’s AI ambitions.

The Ministry of External Affairs said Modi-Al Nahyan also welcomed the operationalization of the ‘Virtual Trade Corridor’ connecting customs and port authorities of the two countries, which aims to streamline the movement of goods, reduce costs and reduce transit times.

Also read: Will there be tax on foreign trips? Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself gave this answer to the reports

America and Israel’s war with Iran is still affecting not only the Middle East but the entire world. During the war, Iran attacked many countries other than the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones. Even though there is a ceasefire between America and Iran, tension still persists in the Middle East. Meanwhile, a claim by Israel has shocked the world.

Israeli PM office’s claim shocked
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has given a sensational information by posting it on social media. The Israeli PM Office posted that amid Operation Roaring Lion, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the United Arab Emirates, where he met UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. The post further said that this visit has brought a historic change in the relations between Israel and UAE.

There has been an uproar after this information came to light. In such a situation, UAE has also issued a statement and rejected Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim of coming to UAE. In fact, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office has created a stir in the world by issuing a sensational statement on Wednesday (May 13) night. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had secretly visited the United Arab Emirates during the attack on Iran.

Also read: US President will have lunch with Jinping, visit Temple of Heaven… Will ‘Dragon’ listen to Trump on Hormuz?

What did UAE say?
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has completely rejected Israel’s claim. The UAE Foreign Ministry said, “The United Arab Emirates (UAE) denies reports related to the alleged visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or the reception of any Israeli military delegation to the country. The UAE has made it clear that their relations with Israel are public and are governed by the officially announced Abraham Accords, and not based on opaque or informal agreements.”

The UAE Foreign Ministry said that any claims related to undeclared visits or secret agreements are completely baseless until officially announced by the relevant authorities in the UAE. The statement further said that the UAE appeals to media organizations to exercise accuracy and professionalism and avoid disseminating unconfirmed information or promoting misleading political rhetoric.

Also read: Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi arrives in India amid war with America, will meet PM Modi-S Jaishankar today

India-UAE Relations: After the recent visit of United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India, its diplomatic effects are now clearly visible. The historic defense agreement signed between India and UAE during this visit is being considered a major development in regional politics.

In this series, UAE has given a big blow to Pakistan and distanced itself from the plan to operate Islamabad International Airport. This agreement was signed in August 2025, but now it has been put on hold for now.

UAE withdraws from Islamabad airport project

According to the report of Pakistani newspaper The Express Tribune, UAE has stepped back from this airport project. Neither the UAE selected any local partner nor took the process forward. Due to this, the deal related to the operation of Islamabad International Airport has stopped at the moment. This decision has come at a time when relations between UAE and Saudi Arabia are increasing and Pakistan seems to be getting closer to Saudi Arabia.

Why did UAE distance itself from Pakistan?

Till about four decades ago, UAE was among Pakistan’s biggest trading partners. Remittances coming from millions of Pakistani citizens working in UAE have been considered the backbone of Pakistan’s economy. Apart from this, both the countries also worked together in areas like defence, energy and investment.
However, over time, UAE’s confidence weakened due to security concerns, license disputes and Pakistan’s policies. Recent reports have revealed poor administration, political interference and huge losses being incurred by government undertakings. This was the reason why Pakistan had to sell many government institutions to private hands at cheap prices. Last year, the Shahbaz Sharif government also privatized Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). In these circumstances, it became difficult for UAE to maintain trust in Pakistan.

India-UAE relations further strengthened

In contrast to the distance from Pakistan, after the India tour, there has been a new strength in the relations between UAE and India. UAE approved the release of 900 Indian prisoners, which is being considered a major goodwill step towards India. During his visit to India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan reviewed all aspects of bilateral cooperation. Both countries agreed on many important partnerships in areas like trade, investment, energy and defence.

Target of $200 billion trade by 2032

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Nahyan have set a target of increasing the annual trade between India and UAE to US $ 200 billion by 2032. Along with this, both the countries have also presented the outline of a strategic defense partnership, which is considered very important from the point of view of regional security and global balance.