Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum will begin a two-day official visit to India on Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
Sheikh Hamdan, who also serves as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is visiting at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the MEA added.
This will be Sheikh Hamdan’s first official visit to India as the Crown Prince of Dubai. He will be accompanied by a delegation comprising several UAE ministers, senior officials, and a high-level business contingent.
Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to host a working lunch for the Crown Prince on Tuesday. During his visit to New Delhi, Sheikh Hamdan will also hold meetings with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Following his engagements in the capital, the Crown Prince will travel to Mumbai, where he will participate in a business roundtable with key Indian and Emirati business leaders. The interaction aims to deepen economic and commercial ties between the two nations, with a focus on both traditional and emerging sectors.
“Dubai has historically played a pivotal role in facilitating India’s commercial, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges with the UAE. A significant portion of the Indian diaspora—estimated at around 4.3 million—resides and works in Dubai. The visit of His Highness the Crown Prince will further reinforce the India–UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and bolster our multifaceted ties with Dubai,” the MEA said in a statement.
The invitation for this visit was extended by EAM Jaishankar during his official trip to the UAE from January 27–29 this year. Following his meeting with the Crown Prince, Jaishankar posted on X:
“Delighted to meet Crown Prince of Dubai and DPM and Minister of Defence of UAE HH Hamdan Mohammed. A warm conversation on our deep bonds of friendship and taking them forward for the good of our people.”
The Crown Prince’s visit is expected to further cement the growing partnership between India and the UAE, particularly in trade, investment, and strategic collaboration.
(With IANS inputs)
