New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) starting Saturday, is part of India’s outreach to key partners in West Asia amid a fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran.
His visit to the UAE coincides with negotiations for a long-term peace solution set to take place on the same dates in Islamabad. The US delegation is being led by Vice President J.D. Vance, while reports indicate that Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi will lead Tehran’s delegation.
A person familiar with the matter told ThePrint that Jaishankar was initially scheduled to travel only to Mauritius this week. However, the ceasefire and consistent high-level visits of Emirati officials to New Delhi led to the last-minute decision of adding Abu Dhabi and Dubai to his itinerary.
Jaishankar’s UAE visit will focus on energy supply, understanding the situation in West Asia as well as the Emirati positioning in South Asia following tensions with Pakistan, and carry a message of appreciation for Abu Dhabi’s efforts to protect the Indian community as well as Indian nationals who were stranded due to last-minute cancellation of flights when the war began end-February.
Jaishankar is likely to hold a bilateral discussion with his Emirati counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan, apart from other senior officials. The individual in the know, quoted earlier, did not rule out Jaishankar calling on UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan, but added that such a meeting would likely be decided at the last minute. “The main talking point [during Jaishankar’s visit] will be the situation in the region and the Emiratis assessment of the ongoing negotiations for a permanent solution to the conflict. Energy supply will be a key talking point,” the person said.
In January, the UAE President, also known as ‘MBZ’, had made a quick three-hour visit to India and met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi had made a visit to New Delhi in February for the AI Impact Summit, followed by Reem Al Hashimy, the Minister of State for International Cooperation who travelled to India last month in the middle of the West Asia conflict.
India has imported around $20 billion worth of petroleum products from the UAE in the 2025-2026 financial year till February, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Moreover, the UAE’s ADNOC Gas (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company) signed long-term deals with Indian companies worth $20 billion in the last couple of years, including its most recent deal with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) in January.
India’s energy supply has taken a significant hit due to the six-week war in West Asia. Imports of liquefied natural gas from Qatar have been severely impacted with the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz as well as the damage to QatarEnergy’s production facilities in Iranian strikes.
India’s Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri was in Qatar Thursday, with his visit concluding Friday. Puri met with QatarEnergy CEO Saad Sherida al Kaabi, who is also the Qatari Minister of State for Energy Affairs, to better understand Doha’s current situation.
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UAE’s position on South Asia
Earlier this month, Abu Dhabi sought the full payment of roughly $3.55 billion worth of loans owed by Pakistan. The UAE had first loaned Pakistan $2 billion in 2018 and a further $1 billion in 2023, as Islamabad entered an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.
For years, Abu Dhabi let the loans be roll-overed, allowing Islamabad the flexibility to repay them at a later date. Islamabad claims that it will pay $450 million on 11 April, $2 billion on 17 April and $1 billion on 23 April.
That the Emiratis have requested full repayment of the loans amid the West Asia crisis—which has severely impacted Pakistan’s economy due to energy shortages—is a sign that some tensions exist between Abu Dhabi and Islamabad.
Another indication came when Pakistani Senator Mushahid Hussain described the UAE as a “helpless nation”, framing the repayment not as a financial obligation but as an act of “brotherly rescue” for a nation “in crisis”.
A visit to gauge
By visiting the UAE at this moment, Jaishankar would be able to gain a better assessment of Abu Dhabi’s positioning on various issues key to India’s own interests in the region. The UAE has emerged as a critical partner in recent years in the region.
“The relationship with the UAE has by far been one of those relationships in the region that have strengthened in the last decade. Jaishankar’s visit at this moment in time is an opportunity to get an assessment from various officials within the Emirati government,” another person familiar with the matter said.
Jaishankar will also be interacting with other key players in West Asia during the Indian Ocean Conference Friday in the Mauritian capital of Port Louis. Oman’s foreign minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidi is attending the conference and will be meeting with Jaishankar on the margins.
Other officials from the region including Egypt’s deputy minister of foreign affairs Mohamed Abu Bakr and Saudi Arabia’s vice-minister of foreign affairs Waleed Elkhereiji are attending the conference in Mauritius. Jaishankar is expected to interact with the leaders, as India continues to build its outreach with the countries in West Asia.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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