Sheikh Khaled's official visit to India ends as economic partnerships are signed

The Abu Dhabi Crown Prince attended the India-UAE Business Forum on Tuesday

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince concludes his official visit to India. Photo: Wam

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, returned to the UAE on Tuesday after concluding his official visit to India.

Maharashtra State Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha was at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport as the UAE delegation departed.

Sheikh Khaled expressed appreciation for the generous hospitality received during his visit, highlighting that it reflected the long-standing ties between the UAE and India, state news agency Wam reported.

The visit was punctuated by the signing of partnerships between UAE and Indian entities, representing both the public and private sectors, that extended the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement established in May 2022.

Sheikh Khaled, also Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, held high-level talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, discussing ways to support co-operation in several sectors.

A reception was held in his honour at Hyderabad House in New Delhi after he landed on Sunday.

On Monday, the Crown Prince visited the shrine of independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, at Raj Ghat memorial in New Delhi, and planted a tree of friendship in celebration of the deep-rooted ties between India and the Emirates. He also met Indian President Droupadi Murmu during a special reception held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

Sheikh Khaled was accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers, senior officials, business leaders and prominent economic partners from the UAE.

Deals agreed at talks

Several strategic agreements were announced, including Adnoc's entry into a 15-year liquefied natural gas agreement with IndianOil, a government-owned oil and gas company.

Adnoc has also signed a framework agreement with Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve to extend its oil storage agreement and support India’s energy security.

India-UAE Business Forum

On Tuesday, a number of agreements and economic initiatives were announced at the India-UAE Business Forum in Mumbai. It focused on key sectors such as healthcare, biotechnology, renewable energy, sustainability, AI, logistics and supply chains, and agricultural technology.

Notable among them was Abu Dhabi artificial intelligence and cloud company G42's announcement to launch its Hindi large language model.

Abu Dhabi’s LuLu Group also announced its collaboration with India's Agricultural and Processed Food Export Development Authority to procure and import organic produce from India to the UAE. And AD Ports Group, the operator of industrial cities and free zones in Abu Dhabi, partnered with India's Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways to create a virtual trade corridor connecting both countries.