Crown Prince of Dubai Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum arrived in India on Tuesday for his first official visit.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar shared his pleasure at receiving the Crown Prince, highlighting the positive sentiments the visiting dignitary holds toward India-UAE relations. “Delighted to welcome Crown Prince of Dubai and DPM & Minister of Defence of UAE HH @HamdanMohammed at the start of his first official visit to India. Value his positive sentiments for our wide-ranging cooperation and vibrant ties,” he posted.
Delighted to welcome Crown Prince of Dubai and DPM & Minister of Defence of UAE HH @HamdanMohammed at the start of his first official visit to India.
Value his positive sentiments for our wide-ranging cooperation and vibrant ties.
🇮🇳 🇦🇪 pic.twitter.com/95swFwUKoh
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 8, 2025
As reported by ANI, the Crown Prince, who also serves as the UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, is in India from April 8 to 9, 2025. He is here on an invitation extended by PM Modi.
The Crown Prince’s arrival was marked by ceremonial honours at the airport, where he was received by Union Minister of State for Tourism and Petroleum & Natural Gas, Suresh Gopi.
Crown Prince’s first official trip to India
This is the Dubai Crown Prince’s maiden official trip to India in his current role. Accompanied by a high-powered delegation comprising senior government functionaries and influential business leaders, the trip signals the deepening strategic and economic engagement between India and the UAE.
After his engagements in Delhi, the Crown Prince is expected to head to Mumbai to participate in a high-level business roundtable. The event is expected to bring together leading Indian and Emirati entrepreneurs to explore collaborations across infrastructure, energy, fintech, sustainability, and innovation, according to an ANI report.
The initiative is aimed at advancing commercial ties and fostering a future-focused economic partnership, in line with the growing scope of bilateral cooperation.
Deepening ties between New Delhi and Dubai
Dubai remains a pivotal gateway in India’s multifaceted ties with the UAE, especially given the robust Indian diaspora, a significant portion of which resides in the Emirate.
As reported by ANI, the Crown Prince’s visit is expected to inject new energy into the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and the UAE and further deepen institutional and grassroots-level engagement with Dubai.
India and the UAE established formal diplomatic ties in 1972. Since PM Modi’s landmark visit in 2015, which was the first by an Indian premier in more than three decades, the bilateral relations between the countries have witnessed a significant upswing. The UAE hosts India’s largest overseas community, numbering over 4.3 million.
