India-UAE Bilateral Relations
Strategic and Economic Depth
The UAE is India's third-largest trading partner and the second-largest destination for Indian exports. The bilateral relationship has been elevated to a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) since May 2022 — India's first bilateral free trade agreement in over a decade. Approximately 3.5 million Indian nationals live in the UAE, making it the largest Indian diaspora concentration in any single country.
- India-UAE CEPA (signed February 2022, effective May 2022): Aims to increase bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030 from ~$60 billion at signing; covers goods, services, and investment.
- UAE is a major source of remittances to India: approximately $19–20 billion annually, the largest single-country remittance source.
- Dubai's JAFZA (Jebel Ali Free Zone) and Abu Dhabi's financial free zones host thousands of Indian businesses and serve as re-export hubs for Indian goods to Africa and the Middle East.
- India-UAE aviation market: ~200 weekly flights (pre-crisis); the bilateral Air Services Agreement (ASA) provides capacity rights for both countries' carriers.
- Strategic partnership: The two countries signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2017; UAE was among the first Gulf states to support India's position on Article 370 (Jammu and Kashmir) in 2019.
● Tracked since March 17, 2026 · last seen June 10, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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