Dubai Crown Prince to visit India today, defence ties in focus

Dubai Crown Prince and UAE defence minister Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's visit to India on April 8-9 is not merely an attempt by the Modi government to cultivate next generation of UAE leadership but also an effort to ramp up defence ties with a key strategic partner in the Gulf and Indian Ocean Region.

The invitation by PM Narendra Modi to Sheikh Hamdan to visit India in April was extended by foreign minister S Jaishankar during his visit to the UAE earlier this year. In a post on X in January, following his meeting with Jaishankar, Sheikh Hamdan wrote: "I was pleased to receive an invitation from the Prime Minister of India to visit the country in April. The enduring relationship between our nations, guided by our leadership, has raised UAE-India relations to new heights. Our partnership serves as an exemplary model for bilateral cooperation, contributing to regional and global stability."

Last year, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, next in line to the throne, was hosted by India.

Defence industry partnership will be on agenda when defence minister Rajnath Singh meets Sheikh Hamdan. The issue has been on the bilateral agenda for the last few years. During the 12th edition of the Joint Defence Cooperation Committee meeting between India and the UAE held in Abu Dhabi last July, the two sides discussed a wide range of opportunities for collaboration to further strengthen defence and security cooperation between the countries.