India and the United Arab Emirates have concluded a long-term agreement to supply 0.5 million metric tonnes of liquefied natural gas per annum to India, strengthening bilateral energy ties and making the UAE India’s second-largest LNG supplier after Qatar.

The agreement was finalised during the visit of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to New Delhi, where he was personally received at the airport by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a gesture underscoring the close relationship between the two leaders. The leaders later held restricted and delegation-level talks at the Prime Minister’s residence.

Briefing the media after the visit, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the discussions resulted in a substantive outcome despite the short duration of the visit. He said the UAE has long been a key energy partner for India and that the new LNG supply agreement builds on an already comprehensive energy partnership.

Misri added that an additional memorandum of understanding on food safety and technical requirements was also signed. The MoU aims to facilitate trade by setting sanitary and quality standards, promote cooperation in the food sector, and encourage exports of food and agricultural products from India to the UAE. He said the agreement would benefit Indian farmers while contributing to food security in the UAE.

The two leaders also discussed emerging areas of cooperation, including civil nuclear energy, in the context of India’s legislative framework for the sustainable development of nuclear power. In addition, India and the UAE set a target to raise bilateral trade to US$200 billion annually by 2032 and agreed to move towards a strategic defence partnership. Two-way trade between the two countries stood at US$84 billion in the 2023–24 financial year.

The LNG supply agreement further reinforces the UAE’s role as a critical energy partner for India and deepens cooperation across strategic sectors between the two countries.