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How India Moved Strategically With UAE Against Pakistan-Saudi Defence Pact
How India Moved Strategically With UAE Against Pakistan-Saudi Defence Pact: Explained
India and the UAE deepened strategic ties during Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed's brief January 2026 visit, signing defence, trade, space, and energy agreements amid shifting West Asian alliances and regional security dynamics.
The ultra-brief visit of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ) to New Delhi on January 19, 2026, has drawn attention for its compressed timeline and high symbolic value, underscoring the deepening strategic alignment between India and the UAE amid shifting regional dynamics in West Asia.
According to official schedule and some media reports, Sheikh Mohamed laned in New Delhi around 4:20 pm IST, where PM Narendra Modi personally received him at the airport, a rare gesture that highlighted the personal rapport between the two leaders. The two leaders held bilateral talks shortly thereafter at the Prime Minister's residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, beginning around 4:45 pm. The UAE President departed at approximately 6:05 pm, resulting in a total stay of roughly 1 hour and 45 minutes from touchdown to takeoff.
This was not a routine state visit but a deliberate, high-impact stopover, as heads of state rarely undertake trans-Arabian Sea flights for such limited durations unless driven by urgency, trust, or the need to convey a clear message. PM Modi described Sheikh Mohamed as his "brother" in social media posts and emphasised the visit's reflection of the "special friendship" between the nations.
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India-UAE signed various deals and agreement
The agreement yielded 12 major outcomes, including a Letter of Intent to establish a Strategic Defence Partnership Framework and a commitment to double bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032.
The Strategic Defence Partnership Framework will facilitate collaboration in defence manufacturing, advanced technologies, cybersecurity, counter-terrorism, military training, and operational interoperability between the two armed forces.
Additionally, in the space sector, India's IN-SPACe and the UAE Space Agency signed a Letter of Intent for joint infrastructure, including launch complexes, satellite fabrication, missions, and training centres. Energy security agreements include a 10-year LNG supply deal between Hindustan Petroleum and ADNOC Gas for 0.5 million tonnes annually from 2028.
Cooperation in advanced nuclear technologies, including large reactors and Small Modular Reactors, was agreed. Bilateral trade has reached $100 billion, while the UAE will invest in Gujarat's Dholera region, developing airports, ports, urban townships, rail, and aviation training.
Meanwhile, India has been continuously working with the UAE to strengthen its defence and technology partnership. This move is seen as a careful strategy of New Delhi to counter balance Pakistan's growing military ties and challenging alliance in West Asia. In particular, India has deepened its defence and security cooperation with the UAE in response to the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA) signed in September, 2025.
What is SMDA ?
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Riyadh in September, 2025 to a full royal welcome, flanked by Saudi F-15 jets and a red carpet.
The Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA) is a formal bilateral defence and security pact between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The pact between both the countries signed in September 17, 2025. The signing at Al-Yamamah Palace included senior officials from both nations. Saudi Arabia, the custodian of Islam's holiest sites, and Pakistan, the Muslim world's only nuclear power, reinforced decades of ties that stretch back nearly eighty years.
The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both, establishing a mutual defence commitment (often compared to NATO's Article 5 collective defence clause). It also aimed at enhancing joint deterrence capabilities, expand military cooperation , intelligence sharing, and formalising longstanding security cooperation into a structured alliance.
India moved strategically with UAE against Pak-Saudi defence pact
SMDA could potentially embolden Pakistan or complicate India's Gulf diplomacy amid ongoing India-Pakistan tensions. So, India needs a strategic and trusted partner in the Middle East. The India-UAE decision to pursue a formal Strategic Defence Partnership includes plans for a Framework Agreement focusing on joint weapons development, counter-terrorism, maritime and cyber security, defence industrial collaboration, advanced technologies, and special forces training.
Analysts view this India-UAE step as a calibrated response to the Pakistan-Saudi pact (and emerging alignments like potential Turkey involvement), strengthening India's position in the Gulf. It builds on existing close ties, including joint exercises, shared memberships (e.g., I2U2, BRICS), and massive economic links—India and UAE set a $200 billion bilateral trade target by 2032, dwarfing Pakistan-Saudi economic goals.
Why UAE wants India
The UAE is turning to India as a strategic partner amid regional uncertainty caused by Iran's weakening and rivalry with Saudi Arabia over influence in Yemen and beyond. Facing potential isolation due to Saudi's new partnerships with Turkey and Pakistan, the UAE seeks a powerful, reliable ally to ensure security, economic stability, and deterrence. India offers defense capability, a large market, energy and food supply, and a significant diaspora, making it an ideal “safe harbour.” The partnership sends a clear signal to regional players that the UAE has powerful backing, while India supports the UAE without antagonizing Saudi Arabia, reflecting careful diplomatic balancing and strategic signaling.
Overall, both countries rely on each other amid rising uncertainty in West Asia. Their approach is guided by mutual interests rather than personal advantage. Just as India needs the UAE, the UAE also sees value in India. Strengthening and deepening ties, therefore, represents a win-win for both nations.
Source: ZeeNews
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