The Hon’ble Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, held a series of meetings in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) focused strengthening bilateral trade, deepening investment ties, and exploring new avenues of cooperation to further enhance India-UAE relations.

The Hon’ble Minister engaged with CEOs of prominent Indian and UAE companies during the UAE–India Business Council (UIBC) Roundtable, which he co-chaired alongside His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, UAE. Both leaders expressed deep satisfaction over the ever-growing economic partnership between India and UAE. They highlighted the significant role played by the business community in furthering the relationship between the two countries. There were discussions around exchange of views on enhancing bilateral trade and investment flows, strengthening business partnerships, and identifying new areas of economic collaboration. Progress on key cornerstone projects like Bharat Mart and India UAE Friendship Hospital were also discussed and the role they would play in enhancing bilateral trade and investments as well as impact on the wider Indian diaspora in UAE were also outlined. The Hon’ble Minister and His Excellency Dr. Thani also noted the increasing role of business leaders in philanthropic initiatives and further commented on the constructive role of these initiatives for the wider community. Both the leaders invited businesses to not just explore opportunities in India and in the UAE but also widen their scope and ambition to other regions, such as Africa, Europe and Central Asia. 

An interaction session between Hon’ble Minister and prominent UAE business leaders was coordinated by Mr. Nilesh Ved, Chairman of the Apparel Group. Discussions focused on expanding the investment outreach and highlighting India’s potential to support UAE companies’ regional and global ambitions. The Hon’ble Minister outlined the recent progress made by the Indian economy in terms of macroeconomic growth, infrastructure development and social inclusion and further emphasized India’s growth path towards ‘Viksit Bharat’. He invited UAE businesses to leverage the upcoming growth opportunities in India.

During these engagements, UAE investors shared constructive perspectives on further enhancing the investment environment, including issues related to market access, regulatory processes, and dispute resolution. Matters such as arbitration frameworks and predictability of enforcement were also discussed in a forward-looking manner. The Hon’ble Minister reiterated India’s commitment to providing a transparent and facilitative business environment, and highlighted the Government’s sustained focus on reforms to strengthen investor confidence. India’s recent economic performance – recording 7.8% GDP growth in the last quarter (Q1 of FY 2025-26) with inflation remaining under control-was noted as a reflection of both resilience and momentum, positioning India as one of the most attractive global investment destinations.

The Hon’ble Minister held focused discussions with Ms. Hana Al Rostamani, CEO of First Abu Dhabi Bank, Mr. Irfan Allana, IFFCO Group and Mr. Sharafuddin Sharaf, Sharaf Group. These discussions focused on growth pathways for the companies to enhance their India presence and deepen financial and economic partnerships between businesses of both countries.

The Hon’ble Minister also interacted with representatives of the India People’s Forum, reflecting the continued engagement with the Indian diaspora and its integral role in strengthening the cultural and economic bonds between India and the UAE. He highlighted the significant contributions made by the Indian diaspora in the UAE and its role in driving economic partnership between both countries.

UAE is amongst India’s most important strategic partners. Their comprehensive strategic partnership is marked by deep political engagement, strong economic integration through landmark agreements, and collaboration across sectors like energy, defence, technology, and food security.

Investment facilitation urged: regulatory predictability and arbitration clarity to strengthen bilateral investment and business confidence. The dialogue focused on strengthening economic partnership by facilitating investment flows through improved market access, streamlined regulatory processes, and government reforms to bolster investor confidence; participants highlighted concerns about dispute resolution and explored enhancements to arbitration frameworks and predictability of enforcement, while the Minister affirmed commitment to a transparent, facilitative business environment and encouraged UAE firms to expand their India presence and regional ambitions.