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On 18-19 September 2025, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal will pay a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of a visit to co-chair the 13th India-UAE High-Level Task Force on Investments (HLJTFI) meetings with Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Managing Director of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). The trip highlights the desire between India and the UAE to strengthen their strategic economic relationship, the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) review, the Double Taxation Treaty, and the cooperation between the central banks. The task force will also look into emerging sectors such as maritime, space, and non-oil industries, and strive to increase bilateral investments and promote the UAE as the best trading partner with India in the MENA region.
Strengthening Strategic Economic Ties
The review of the CEPA implementation, which increased bilateral merchandise trade almost twice (USD 43.3 billion in FY 202021) to USD 83.7 billion in FY 202324, is also a major agenda of the visit of Goyal. This has grown especially in the non-oil sectors, which is an indication of the growing economic activity between the two countries. Increasing the cooperation between the central banks of India and the UAE and improving the Double Taxation Treaty will also be discussed. The measures are intended to solidify the position of the UAE as the largest trading partner of India in the MENA region and to provide a platform for long-term trade and investment growth..
Unlocking New Investment Frontiers and Business Leadership Engagement
Other than trade, the visit will aim at opening up new investment options in high-growth areas like maritime, space, technology, energy, defence, and food security. The bilateral meetings that Goyal will have will include Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor of the UAE and Chairman of International Holding Company (IHC), Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), and Syed Basar Shueb, Managing Director of IHC.
Goyal will also be the co-chair of the UAE-India Business Council (UIBC) round table with Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, the UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, where he will meet with the CEOs of prominent Indian and Emirati businesses. These talks are meant to develop platforms that help the investor to have reassurances, increase foreign direct investment, and stimulate mega projects. The discussions will aim at directing investments towards the strategic areas, improving joint ventures, and enhancing the flow of investments to the private sector.
Since its establishment in 2013, the HLJTFI has played a significant role in the resolution of disputes, the development of strategic relations, and the improvement of investment collaboration. The last conference, in Mumbai in October 2024, was finalised with the India-UAE Bilateral Investment Treaty signed on the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UAE. The bilateral cooperation that is to be extended, diversified, and enhanced in other fields through the additional economic activities is an opportunity that the task force can take during this week.
