Hamdan bin Mohammed Meets Modi, Boosts UAE-India Ties
Sheik Hamdan bin Mohammed guides a new economic partnership with India that aims for US$ 100 billion in non-oil trade. The relationship between both nations has grown by a lot since they signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2022. Bilateral trade will likely exceed US$ 97 billion.
Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum‘s leadership is a vital part of the expanding UAE-India alliance that goes beyond trade. The partnership includes several milestones. About 4.3 million Indians now call the UAE their home. Dubai hosts the first overseas Indian Institute of Management campus. The India-UAE Friendship Hospital stands as a symbol of healthcare cooperation. This strategic collaboration has grown stronger since Prime Minister Modi’s landmark UAE visit in 2015. Both nations show their steadfast dedication to building lasting economic and cultural bonds.
Sheik Hamdan bin Mohammed Unveils $100 Billion Trade Target with India
Image Source: Economy Middle East
Sheik Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s official visit to India included a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Dubai Crown Prince led a high-level delegation to strengthen the UAE-India trade alliance.
Both leaders discussed ways to boost trade to AED 367.19 billion (approximately $100 billion) in non-oil trade before 2030. This goal seems within reach as bilateral trade has already hit AED 312.11 billion in FY 2022-23, growing 12.7% from the previous year. Non-oil trade between both nations has grown 15% since the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in May 2022.
CEPA Council Director Ahmed Aljneibi was optimistic: “Our two countries are on track to far surpass the goal of achieving AED 367.19 billion in non-oil trade by 2030”. UAE has become India’s third-largest trading partner, second-largest export destination, and fourth-largest investor.
Merchandise trade has jumped from AED 159.00 billion in FY 2020-21 to AED 295.59 billion in just the first ten months of this fiscal year. Dubai-India trade ties have flourished, with non-oil trade reaching AED 199.02 billion in 2023.
The partnership goes beyond just numbers. Both countries launched the India-UAE Virtual Trade Corridor and MAITRI interface to make administrative processes easier and cut logistics costs. Work continues on Bharat Mart, a massive distribution hub in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone. This hub will offer 1,500 showrooms and over 700,000 square feet of warehousing space for Indian businesses.
Indian investments in Dubai have reached AED 15 billion in the last five years, while Dubai has invested AED 17.2 billion in India. The Dubai Chamber of Commerce welcomed 16,623 new Indian companies in 2024 alone.
Modi and Crown Prince Exchange Historic Gifts Symbolizing Generational Ties
Image Source: Khaleej Times
PM Modi’s historic meeting with Sheik Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum showcased the deep bonds between their nations through meaningful symbolic exchanges. These gestures reflected the multi-generational connections that have thrived for thousands of years.
Sheik Hamdan’s first official visit to India as Dubai’s Crown Prince became memorable with an exchange of culturally significant gifts that went beyond diplomatic courtesy. UAE Vice President Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum had given PM Modi a personally inscribed copy of his book. Modi’s response was heartfelt: “A gesture I will always cherish!” He also praised the UAE Vice President’s “dedication to Dubai’s growth and vision for our planet.”
UAE officials describe their “legacy of diplomacy” through symbolic tree plantings at New Delhi’s Mahatma Gandhi Mausoleum. This tradition spans three generations of leadership:
- UAE’s founding father, Sheik Zayed, started this tradition in 1992 by planting an amaltas sapling
- Sheik Mohamed bin Zayed planted a molshri sapling in 2016
- Sheik Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed added another amaltas sapling, marking the third generation
These ceremonial plantings represent the lasting partnership between both nations. Officials point out that this multi-generational bond goes way beyond the reach and influence of recent diplomatic agreements, as it is “rooted in a history that spans over 6,000 years.”
Cultural exchanges have strengthened this relationship significantly. PM Modi highlighted during the February 2024 inauguration of Abu Dhabi’s BAPS Hindu Temple that UAE’s leadership has “wholeheartedly worked to fulfill the aspirations of crores of Indians.” UAE President Sheik Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s support for this temple project demonstrates the “communal harmony and global unity” that defines the growing UAE-India partnership.
UAE Establishes First IIM-Ahmedabad Campus Outside India
Image Source: IIM Ahmedabad
The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) has marked a milestone by announcing its first international campus in Dubai. This makes IIMA the first IIM to venture beyond India’s borders. The prestigious campus will welcome its first batch of students in September 2025.
The Director of IIMA, Professor Bharat Bhasker, revealed this expansion plan during a recent convocation ceremony. The Dubai campus emerged as a strategic collaboration under UAE-India’s educational cooperation framework. Sheik Hamdan bin Mohammed’s commitment has deepened the bilateral ties beyond trade.
IIMA’s Dubai campus will start with its well-known executive education programs. The institute currently runs over 200 detailed courses that cater to professionals at different career levels. These programs help boost leadership skills and create networking opportunities among high-achieving professionals.
Other major Indian educational institutions have already made UAE their home. The country hosts Amity University Dubai (2011 old) with a diverse student body of 2,500 from 70 nationalities. Symbiosis International University Dubai and IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi joined in 2024.
The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) plans to open its first overseas campus at Expo City Dubai by early 2025. This new addition will serve the UAE’s large Indian community of 3.5 million residents.
Sheik Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum sees this educational partnership as crucial to UAE’s goal of becoming a global education hub. IIMA’s Dubai campus fulfills the vision discussed by Indian Ambassador to UAE, Sunjay Sudhir, during the 78th Indian Independence Day celebrations.
UAE’s educational landscape has evolved into a multicultural environment that encourages broader worldviews. IIMA’s Dubai campus stands out from other international branches through its distinctive case study method. This approach, pioneered by Harvard University and first adopted in India by IIMA, helps students participate in interactive problem-solving processes.
The partnership between the UAE and India represents a defining moment in their bilateral relations. Both nations aim to achieve $100 billion in non-oil trade, which shows their shared economic vision. Under Sheik Hamdan bin Mohammed’s leadership, this alliance has grown beyond business interests and now affects education, culture, and healthcare sectors positively.
Leaders from both countries have exchanged meaningful gifts and followed ceremonial traditions that highlight connections dating back thousands of years. The BAPS Hindu Temple project and other symbolic gestures demonstrate the cultural bonds that unite these nations.
IIMA’s first international campus in Dubai leads several prestigious Indian educational institutions establishing their presence in the UAE. This academic partnership, along with growing trade and initiatives like the Virtual Trade Corridor, makes the UAE-India alliance an excellent example of international cooperation.
The 2022 CEPA agreement has produced remarkable results. Non-oil trade grew by 15% with substantial investment flows between the countries. The UAE hosts 4.3 million Indians, and Dubai welcomed 16,623 new Indian companies in 2024 alone. These numbers show how this partnership benefits communities in both nations.
