UAE Minister Advances UAE-India Economic Corridor in High-Level India Visit
Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri met Indian leaders to boost UAE-India economic corridor and expand trade, aviation and tourism ties during a multi-city visit to India.
Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism, is conducting a wide-ranging visit to India focused on strengthening the UAE-India economic corridor through ministerial meetings and business events. The minister held talks with India’s commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal, civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, and participated in Investopia Ahmedabad and a UAE–India food sector forum in Andhra Pradesh. His agenda emphasized closer industrial cooperation, enhanced air links and deeper tourism and trade integration between the two countries.
Meetings with Indian trade and aviation officials
Abdullah bin Touq discussed expanded economic cooperation with Piyush Goyal, exploring new opportunities in advanced manufacturing and innovation that could deepen industrial partnerships. The conversations focused on identifying sectors where joint investments and technology transfers would accelerate value-added production between the UAE and India. In separate talks with Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, the ministers examined ways to widen air connectivity and harmonize aviation practices to support growing passenger and cargo demand.
Business representation and company growth in the UAE
The minister highlighted the expanding footprint of Indian businesses in the UAE, noting that 290,222 Indian companies were registered in the country by the end of the first half of 2026. That figure represents a 16.7 percent increase from the same period a year earlier, underlining sustained investor confidence in the UAE’s regulatory environment and market access. Officials framed this growth as both evidence of the UAE’s appeal and as a foundation for future collaboration in services, technology and entrepreneurship.
Tourism links remain a central pillar
Bin Touq emphasized tourism as a key engine of bilateral relations, noting that India continues to lead as a top source market for visitors to the UAE. He underlined that rising travel demand is supported by extensive air routes, cultural ties and increasing business travel, all of which help sustain hospitality, retail and related sectors. The minister’s remarks reinforced government plans to coordinate tourism promotion and streamline travel facilitation to encourage year-round visitor flows.
Aviation connectivity and operational cooperation
During discussions on aviation, officials exchanged data and best practices aimed at increasing flight frequencies and operational resilience. The two sides reported that national carriers operate a combined total of 1,146 weekly flights linking cities across the UAE and India, a volume that underpins both leisure and business travel. Ministers explored steps to expand route networks, enhance cargo capacity and collaborate on safety, sustainability and digitalization in air services.
Building an integrated UAE-India economic corridor
A central objective of the visit was to advance the concept of a UAE-India economic corridor to integrate industry, logistics and supply chains more tightly. Ministers and business leaders discussed coordinated infrastructure investments, logistics node development and streamlined customs and regulatory frameworks to reduce friction for bilateral trade. The proposed corridor aims to position both countries as connected hubs linking regional markets and global value chains, boosting competitiveness for exporters and manufacturers.
Parliamentary engagement and historical ties
Bin Touq’s meeting with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla reiterated the deep historical and cultural links that underpin UAE–India relations and the shared interest in stable, long-term economic partnership. Both sides stressed that diplomatic and parliamentary exchanges complement commercial initiatives by reinforcing trust and facilitating policy alignment. The discussions also touched on people-to-people links, cultural exchanges and cooperative development projects that sustain bilateral momentum.
The minister’s visit included participation in Investopia events in Gujarat and a UAE–India business forum on the food sector in Andhra Pradesh, signaling an emphasis on state-level collaboration and sector-specific investment opportunities. Officials described these platforms as crucial for matchmaking between UAE investors and Indian enterprises, particularly in sectors such as food processing, logistics, renewable energy and advanced manufacturing.
Looking ahead, UAE and Indian officials signalled commitment to translating these meetings into concrete outcomes, including memoranda of understanding, expanded flight schedules and joint industrial initiatives. Both governments indicated they will follow up through working groups and private-sector engagement to operationalize elements of the UAE-India economic corridor. The emphasis remains on making bilateral trade and investment more seamless, resilient and beneficial to businesses and citizens in both countries.