Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Begins Two-Day Visit to India to Strengthen Trade Relations

Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Begins Two-Day Visit to India to Strengthen Trade Relations

New Delhi, April 9, 2025: Dubai's Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday for his first official visit to India. During his visit, he met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and members of his Cabinet.

Sheikh Hamdan will travel to Delhi and Mumbai over the two-day visit, accompanied by a delegation consisting of Cabinet members, senior government officials, and business leaders.

Since the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and the UAE in 2022, commercial relations between India and Dubai have grown rapidly. This agreement has eliminated trade barriers, reduced tariffs, and simplified business operations, creating opportunities for companies from both countries to enter each other's markets.

After his meeting with Sheikh Hamdan, Prime Minister Modi posted, "Dubai has played an important role in the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This special visit further strengthens our strong friendship and paves the way for even stronger collaboration in the future."

In 2023, trade between Dubai and India amounted to nearly $45.4 billion, up significantly from $36.7 billion in 2019.

In 2024, India became the top investor in Dubai, with over $3 billion in foreign direct investment, primarily in business services, software and IT services, consumer products, food and beverages, and real estate sectors.

As of last year, more than 70,000 Indian companies had obtained membership in the Dubai Chamber of Commerce.

Dubai, the most populous of the seven emirates of the UAE, is home to 4.3 million Indian expatriates, who form the largest expatriate community in the country.

During his visit, Sheikh Hamdan also met with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar.

As part of the visit, representatives from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce will organize a business forum in Mumbai, where around 200 industry leaders will discuss new trade and investment opportunities.

After his visit to Delhi, Sheikh Hamdan will travel to Mumbai, where he will take part in a roundtable meeting with top business leaders from India and Dubai.