Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s brief May 15 stopover in Abu Dhabi yielded agreements on energy, defense, maritime infrastructure, and inbound investment. BRICS members India and the UAE signed two MoUs on energy security: one on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cooperation and one on strategic petroleum reserves. Under the petroleum reserves agreement, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL) will collaborate on storage of up to 30 million barrels of UAE crude at India’s strategic facilities at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and the future reserve at Chandikhol in Odisha—a hedge against disruptions to energy flow, India TV reports.
On defence, the two governments signed a framework agreement advancing the Strategic Defence Partnership Letter of Intent of January 2026. BusinessToday reports that the new framework opens cooperation in defence industry, training, cyber security, counter-terrorism, innovation, and interoperability.
On maritime infrastructure, Cochin Shipyard Limited signed an agreement with Dubai-based Drydocks World to establish a ship repair cluster at Vadinar in Gujarat. A separate agreement focuses on training and deploying a skilled maritime workforce.
The UAE separately announced approximately $5 billion in investments in Indian infrastructure projects and the banking sector, including stakes in RBL Bank and Samman Capital, reports India’s ANI News.
Modi, in his meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said “India will always stand by UAE” with regard to the conflict in the region. Modi posted a two-minute video overview of his trip. His next stop is the Netherlands.