India-UAE trade set to surpass $88 billion after signing of free trade deal

The UAE is India’s third largest trading partner after the United States and China, and also one of the country’s most important strategic partners in West Asia

Published on: Nov 22, 2022, 18:34:47 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Foreign ministers of India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday reviewed bilateral ties in areas ranging from food security to two-way trade, which is projected to surpass $88 billion in the current fiscal following the signing of a free trade deal.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (right) in Delhi on Tuesday. (Twitter Photo)

External affairs minister S Jaishankar and his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan met at Hyderabad House and reviewed relations in different areas, especially trade, investment, food security, energy, defence, space and education. They also exchanged views on the global situation, various regional hotspots and cooperation between the two side at the United Nations Security Council.

The UAE is India’s third largest trading partner after the United States and China, and also one of the country’s most important strategic partners in West Asia. The emirates are home to 3.5 million Indians, one of the largest concentrations of expatriates in the region. Sheikh Abdullah arrived in India with a high-level delegation on Monday for a two-day visit.

The ministers noted that bilateral trade had shown “appreciable growth” since the bilateral Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) came into force on May 1. India’s exports to the UAE during April-September 2022 were worth $16 billion, an increase of 24% year-on-year, while imports increased 38% to reach $28.4 billion in the same period, the external affairs ministry said.

Bilateral trade is projected to surpass $88 billion during the current fiscal, compared to $73 billion for the last financial year, people familiar with the matter said. Two-way trade during April-August 2022 was 38% higher compared to the corresponding period last year, and exports during this period increased 27% while imports surged 45%, largely due to higher crude prices, they said.

Also Read:UAE foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan begins 2-day India visit

Both countries are discussing trade in Indian rupees and dirhams and making use of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) as a payment platform for remittances from the 3.5-million Indian community in the UAE, the people added.

The new I2U2 grouping, which brings together India, Israel, the UAE and the US, is also working in the field of food security and clean energy. India and the UAE are discussing investments of $2 billion from the emirates to develop food corridors in India and another $300 million for building a 300 GW hybrid wind and solar power plant.

As part of the food security cooperation under I2U2, a delegation led by the CEO of Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company (ADQ) visited India in October for discussions with various stakeholders. IIT-Delhi has held meetings with its partner, Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge, for establishing a campus in Abu Dhabi.

Tuesday’s meeting between the two foreign ministers was also attended by foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra and UAE minister of state for international cooperation Reem Al Hashimy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.