UAE and India Reaffirm Push for $200 Billion Trade Target at Dubai Forum

India and the United Arab Emirates have again underlined the growing strength of their economic partnership, with senior officials, diplomats and business leaders from both countries gathering in Dubai for a high-level forum focused on trade resilience, investment and future cooperation. The event, titled “Strength in Resilience,” was hosted by the UAE India Business Council–UAE Chapter and placed the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement at the centre of the discussion.

The forum brought together UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Indian Ambassador to the UAE Dr. Deepak Mittal, India’s Consul General in Dubai and the Northern Emirates Satish Kumar Sivan, and several senior trade and industry representatives. The core message from the event was clear: India and the UAE are no longer looking at their relationship only through the lens of traditional trade, but as a wider economic corridor linking investment, logistics, technology, energy, infrastructure and global supply chains.

A major highlight of the discussions was the shared ambition to raise bilateral trade to US$200 billion. This target reflects the rapid transformation of India-UAE ties after the implementation of the CEPA, which has helped deepen commercial flows and widen the scope of cooperation. According to the PIB backgrounder on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s UAE visit, bilateral merchandise trade crossed US$100 billion for the first time, reaching US$101.25 billion in FY 2025-26, while both sides have committed to doubling bilateral trade to US$200 billion by 2032.

Dr. Al Zeyoudi said non-oil trade between the two countries exceeded US$76 billion last year, registering 17 percent growth despite global trade headwinds. He also highlighted the UAE’s connectivity with more than 400 cities, ports and logistics hubs worldwide, positioning the country not only as India’s Gulf partner but also as a gateway for wider market access. This makes CEPA more than a bilateral trade instrument; it is increasingly being projected as a platform for Indian and UAE companies to jointly access third-country opportunities.

One of the most important forward-looking themes was cooperation in Africa. The UAE side identified Africa as a major area where India and the Emirates can work together in investments, logistics and supply chains. This is significant because India has deep historical and commercial links with Africa, while the UAE has developed strong logistics, port, finance and infrastructure networks across the region. A combined India-UAE approach could help create new corridors for food security, manufacturing, energy, digital services and resilient supply chains.

Indian Ambassador Dr. Deepak Mittal also linked the economic momentum to the broader strategic relationship between the two leaderships. He noted that frequent high-level exchanges have expanded cooperation across trade, energy, infrastructure and connectivity, while opening new areas such as defence, space, nuclear energy, green technology and critical minerals. This shows that the India-UAE relationship is moving from a strong commercial partnership into a multi-sector strategic partnership.

The investment side is also becoming increasingly important. India and the UAE signed a Bilateral Investment Treaty in February 2024, which entered into force in August 2024. PIB data shows that cumulative FDI from the UAE into India stood at US$25.19 billion from April 2000 to March 2025, making the UAE the seventh-largest overseas investor in India. UAE investments are spread across real estate, infrastructure, energy, private equity and financial services, while sovereign wealth funds from the Emirates have built a strong presence in India’s growth sectors.

Energy remains another major anchor of the relationship. The UAE is one of India’s key energy partners, with PIB noting that in FY 2024-25 it was India’s fourth-largest crude oil source, third-largest LNG source, largest LPG supplier and second-largest export destination for finished petroleum products. The UAE is also the only country participating in India’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve programme, giving the relationship a deeper energy-security dimension.

The Dubai forum therefore reinforces the idea that India-UAE ties are entering a more mature phase. The relationship is built on old civilisational trade links, a large Indian diaspora, energy interdependence and strong political trust, but its future is increasingly being shaped by CEPA, investment flows, local currency settlement, logistics, technology, green growth and cooperation in third markets. For India, the UAE is a gateway to West Asia, Africa and global capital. For the UAE, India is a large market, a talent hub and a long-term partner in economic diversification. Together, both countries are trying to turn a historically strong relationship into one of the most important economic partnerships of the decade.