UAE President's 3-Hour India Visit And PM Modi's Special Gesture

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today welcomed the UAE's President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Delhi and shared visuals of the gesture, where both leaders were seen hugging. PM Modi in a post on X called it a visit to the airport "to welcome my brother".

"Went to the airport to welcome my brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. His visit illustrates the importance he attaches to a strong India-UAE friendship. Looking forward to our discussions," PM Modi said in the post.

The two leaders travelled together in the same car from the airport.

The visit for just three hours comes at a time of heightened tensions in West Asia, including strained Iran-US relations, continued instability in Gaza, and the unresolved Yemen conflict involving Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

PM Modi also posted photographs with Sheikh Mohamed, including an image of the two leaders seated inside a car and another showing them in a warm embrace.

Went to the airport to welcome my brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. His visit illustrates the importance he attaches to a strong India-UAE friendship. Looking forward to our discussions.@MohamedBinZayed pic.twitter.com/Os3FRvVrBc

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 19, 2026

The Ministry of External Affairs said the visit is being held at the invitation of PM Modi and builds on the strong momentum created through recent high-level engagements. These included the visit of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, in September 2024, and the visit of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE and Crown Prince of Dubai, in April 2025.

The UAE president's visit also coincides with major developments in West Asia, with US President Trump preparing to launch Phase 2 of the Gaza Peace Plan, which aims to establish a National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.

This is Sheikh Mohamed's third official visit to India since assuming office as the UAE president, and his fifth visit to the country in the past decade, underlining the continuity of high-level engagement between New Delhi and Abu Dhabi.