Description: Dubai’s Crown Prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al – Maktoum, arrived on an official visit to New Delhi where he met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The leaders discussed the bolstering of economic ties between the two countries in sectors such as trade, energy and investments. Bilateral trade has marked a significant rise from $36.7 billion in 2019 to $45.4 billion in 2023, which was facilitated by close political cooperation. On the outskirts of the meeting, defensive leaders from both countries also met, where close cooperation in the military industry and joint strategic ties were also discussed. The Crown Prince is scheduled to visit Mumbai as well, where he will meet with prominent businessmen from India’s vast landscape and continue discussions on further cooperation.
Impact: India continues to explore strategic venues amidst tightened geopolitical conditions. The country has adopted a multi-faceted approach towards developing alliances which vary from Russia to China, the US and now the UAE. Adversary geopolitical currents plunge large economies and markets such as India towards exploring varied alliances which is becoming the new normal in a multipolarized world. UAE could significantly benefit from cozying up to India, as one of Asia’s largest markets, while India would aim at bolstering their regional influence and conform towards the novel shifts in the South Asia theather of power dynamics.