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Watch: Modi departs from Delhi for UAE; visit to focus on regional security, trade
UAE is home to over 4 million Indians, making them the largest expatriate community in the country
- PUBLISHED: Fri 15 May 2026, 8:13 AM
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has departed for Delhi as he embarks on a five-nation tour that begins with UAE. The visit takes place amid regional tensions in the Middle East, with Modi earlier thanking Gulf countries for ensuring the safety of the millions of Indians that reside there.
With talks expected between the two leaders, Modi's close bond with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will take centre stage amid the visit, according to Deepak Mittal, Ambassador of India to the UAE.
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Watch the video, as Indian Prime Minister Modi departs from Delhi:
With Modi's visit expected to last only a few hours, the Indian Prime Minister and UAE President has "this habit (if I may say) of being able to visit each other at short notice, being with each other, even for a short time, and still transact substantive business," Mittal said.
What will be discussed?
Officials are expected to discuss:
Energy cooperation
Trade and investment
Regional security and stability
Connectivity and economic partnerships.
With Strait of Hormuz being a central topic in the regional tensions, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy earlier said that Modi's visit will include focus on the energy strain which has had a global impact at the household level.
UAE is home to over 4 million Indians, making them the largest expatriate community in the country. Diaspora welfare and labour protection are expected to feature prominently in the visit, especially as the UAE continues to position itself as a global talent and investment hub, as earlier reported by Khaleej Times.
Poojaraj Maniyeri is a Digital Journalist who loves turning everyday conversations into news stories. She is also a typical bookworm, and brings a novel with her everywhere she goes.