- Dates back to history | pearls, dates, fishes and other traditional items
- Today, energy import from UAE forms a significant core of the bilateral trade | with oil import from Abu Dhabi to India beginning in 1962
- UAE | India’s 4th largest source of crude oil
UAE | India’s 2nd largest source for LNG and LPG - With 1990s as big positive change | with India’s economic liberalisation | and Dubai’s emergence as a trading hub
- UAE is India’s third-largest trading partner (after China and US) | India is UAE’s second largest trading partner
- India’s second largest export destination (after US) | with US$ 36 billion export in 2023-24
- It was further deepened with the signing of CEPA in Feb 2022.
- MoU signed on establishing a local currency settlement system between the RBI and the Central Bank of the UAE |
- Bilateral Investment Treaty | signed in February 2024 |in effect from 31 August 2024
- Over 550 times jump in bilateral trade |1970s – US$ 180 million annually | 2024-25 – US$ 100.06 billion
- Target | To take to the bilateral trade to US$ 200 billion by 2032 | double in next 6 years
- Investment | UAE is 7th largest overseas investor in India | US$ 22.85 billion | cumulative FDI from the UAE into India from April 2000 to 2025
- 2024-25 UAE FDI in India | $4.3 billion | 5th largest | was 6th largest in 2023-24
- US$ 75 billion | UAE’s commitment in invest in India’s infrastructure sector
- Significant investment in UAE by Indian companies | in manufacturing | in tourism and hospitality | in education sector | in healthcare | in retail ops | public and private sector banks of India
- Both countries working to integrate both countries’s instant platforms | India’s UPI + UAE’s AANI | & | interlinking domestic debits cards | RuPay from India and JAYWAN from UAE
- Diverse trade areas like | petroleum products | gems and jewelry | food items | textiles, chemicals | engineering goods | AI | innovative health care | renewable energy | fintech | critical minerals | civil nuclear energy cooperation
- 2nd largest source of country-wise inward remittances to India after the US
Remittances | Economic Survey 2025-26 Data
- India | world’s largest recipient of remittances
- FY25 | USD 135.4 billion (provisional) | from USD 55.6 billion in FY11 | accounting for approximately 3.5 per cent of GDP in FY25 (provisional)
- Advanced Economies now dominate Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC countries) in inward remittances for India | share of GCC countries was more historically
- Country-wise inward remittances | US (27.7%) | UAE (19.2%) | The UK (10.8%) | Singapore (6.6%)