The UAE and India have explored new avenues to strengthen bilateral ties across key economic and industrial sectors during a high-level meeting held at the Ministry of Economy headquarters in Dubai.
H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, the UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism, and H.E. H. D. Kumaraswamy, Indian Minister of Steel and Heavy Industries discussed ways to enhance collaboration with a focus on the new economy, logistic transportation, advanced technology, manufacturing and food industries.
H.E. Bin Touq stated that, “The two nations enjoy a decades-long history of economic collaboration built on shared interests, and a common vision for sustainable growth.”
The UAE minister highlighted the shared goals in both countries’ development strategies, such as the circular economy, advanced manufacturing, tourism, healthcare, entrepreneurship, innovation and technology.
H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri The UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism
“Economic collaboration between the UAE and India continues to strengthen, with notable growth in business activities. In the first half of 2025 alone, 22,415 new Indian companies entered the UAE market, an increase of over 10 percent compared to the same period in 2024. By the end of June 2025, the total number of Indian companies operating in the UAE reached 264,687. During the meeting, we discussed strategies to enhance communication between business communities of the two countries and to encourage the establishment of diverse ventures across vital economic sectors.”
During the meeting, the minister emphasized the UAE’s competitive legislative and thriving economy that fosters industrial investments across the world. The manufacturing sector contributed 13.5 percent to the UAE’s non-oil GDP in 2024, holding second position on the the list of economic activities that contribute to the non-oil GDP.
By the end of 2022, the foreign direct investment (FDI) in this key sector reached approximately $10.9 billion (AED 40 billion), representing 7 percent of the country’s total FDI inflows.
The meeting also highlighted the competitive advantages of the UAE’s business environment for Indian companies, the nation’s strategic location that connects East with West, its comprehensive economic partnerships, cutting-edge infrastructure, diverse logistics services, and tax incentives that foster diverse economic and investment activities.
Furthermore, both nations underscored the importance of strengthening ties between the public and private sectors to facilitate the exchange of expertise and best practices, aimed at adopting advanced technologies across sectors related to the new economy. This will contribute to the development of a knowledge-based, technology-driven economy while driving sustainable development.
