Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh Meets Dubai Crown Prince to Boost India-UAE Defence Ties

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh met with Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Defence of the United Arab Emirates, at South Block, New Delhi, on April 8, 2025. The meeting aimed to deepen the strategic defence partnership between the two nations and explore opportunities for expanded cooperation in defence and technology.

Both leaders expressed satisfaction over the existing defence cooperation, which includes military exercises, institutional dialogues, and training exchanges. They emphasized the need to scale up collaboration in defence to align with the robust progress in trade and business ties, driven by the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Key Areas of Discussion and Agreements:

• Enhanced training exchanges to strengthen mutual understanding of defence ecosystems.
• Plans to formalise Coast Guard cooperation through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
• A strong push towards defence industry collaboration, with a focus on co-development and co-production projects.
• Commitment to leverage synergies in Make-in-India and Make-in-Emirates initiatives.
• Encouragement for joint participation in defence expos and exhibitions.
• Reaffirmation of the role of the India-UAE Defence Partnership Forum in fostering strategic ventures.

Following the meeting, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh took to social media to reaffirm India’s commitment to strengthening defence ties with the UAE. He wrote, “In the coming years, we are eager to work closely in areas such as defence cooperation, co-production and co-development projects, innovation and technology. Both India and the UAE are committed to work towards peace and prosperity in the region.”

Long-Standing Bilateral Defence Framework

India and the UAE have a solid foundation in defence cooperation, with a Defence Cooperation MoU signed in 2003, followed by another MoU on Defence Industry Cooperation in 2017. These agreements have been instrumental in institutionalizing defence engagement and enabling collaboration in critical areas.

The meeting reflects a shared vision to deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and the UAE and signals a future of innovation-driven, mutually beneficial defence collaboration.