Indian army chief begins official visit to UAE to boost defence ties

New Delhi, Jan 4 (IANS) India's Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Sunday departed for an official two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a key step in strengthening bilateral military and strategic cooperation.

The trip underscores growing defence collaboration under the broader India-UAE strategic partnership, which has been deepening in recent years through high-level engagements and joint initiatives across security and defence sectors.

“#GeneralUpendraDwivedi, #COAS, proceeded on an official visit to the United Arab Emirates #UAE today. The visit underscores a shared commitment to deepening mutual understanding, enhancing cooperation in areas of common interest and advancing bilateral #DefenceCooperation between the two nations", the India Army's Additional Directorate General, Public Information (ADG-PI) posted on X.

General Dwivedi’s trip reflects India’s focus on strengthening military diplomacy with strategic partners in the Gulf, a region pivotal for security, economic, and geopolitical interests.

India and the UAE maintain a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with defence cooperation emerging as a core pillar alongside trade, energy and cultural exchange. Previous military engagements between the two nations, including reciprocal visits by senior commanders and joint discussions on capability building and defence industry collaboration, highlight the sustained momentum of this bilateral relationship.

The Indian Army chief’s visit is expected to involve meetings with senior UAE military officials to explore further cooperation in defence innovation, joint exercises and strategic dialogues.

Late last month, an Indian Army contingent reached the Gulf nation to participate in the second edition of the joint military Exercise ‘Desert Cyclone-II', to be conducted at Abu Dhabi, from December 18 to 30.

"The aim of the exercise is to enhance interoperability and foster defence cooperation between the Indian Army and the UAE Land Forces through joint training in an urban environment, with a focus on sub-conventional operations under a United Nations mandate, enabling both forces to operate together in peacekeeping, counter-terrorism and stability operations," the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Over nearly two weeks, troops from both countries will jointly train on a wide spectrum of tactical drills, including fighting in built-up areas, heliborne operations and detailed mission planning. In addition, the integration of UAS and counter-UAS techniques will be carried out for the conduct of operations in built-up areas, it said.

Meanwhile, the UAE Land Forces' Commander, Maj Gen Yousef Maayouf Saeed Al Hallami, had visited India on October 27-28, and the Commander of the UAE Presidential Guard on December 15-19.

Maj Gen Hallami's visit saw key engagements between senior leaders and officials from both sides, which have further strengthened the foundation for enhanced bilateral military cooperation, exchange and collaboration in areas of strategic and defence interests.

During his visit, he engaged in a series of productive discussions with General Dwivedi.

General Dwivedi’s UAE visit follows a series of engagements with foreign militaries and strategic partners across the world, as part of India’s broader defence outreach.

Through such high-level exchanges, New Delhi aims to consolidate partnerships, foster interoperability and address shared security challenges in an increasingly complex global environment.