(Image source from: x.com/narendramodi)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Delhi today and shared images of the moment, showing the two leaders embracing. In a post on X, PM Modi referred to it as a trip to the airport "to greet my brother". "I went to the airport to greet my brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE. His visit shows how much he values the strong friendship between India and the UAE. I look forward to our talks," PM Modi stated in the post. The two leaders rode together in the same vehicle from the airport. The short visit, lasting just three hours, takes place amid increasing tensions in West Asia, including troubled relations between Iran and the US, ongoing unrest in Gaza, and the unresolved conflict in Yemen involving Saudi Arabia and the UAE. PM Modi also shared photos with Sheikh Mohamed, featuring one of them sitting together in a car and another capturing their warm embrace.
Went to the airport to welcome my brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. His visit illustrates the importance he attaches to a strong India-UAE friendship. Looking forward to our discussions.@MohamedBinZayed pic.twitter.com/Os3FRvVrBc
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 19, 2026
The Ministry of External Affairs mentioned that this visit is happening at PM Modi's invitation and continues the strong momentum from recent high-level meetings. These included the visit from Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, in September 2024, and the visit from Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE and Crown Prince of Dubai, in April 2025. The UAE president’s visit also comes at a significant time in West Asia, with US President Trump getting ready to start Phase 2 of the Gaza Peace Plan, which aims to create a National Committee for the Management of Gaza. This is Sheikh Mohamed’s third official visit to India since he became the UAE president and his fifth trip to the country in the last ten years, highlighting the ongoing high-level interactions between New Delhi and Abu Dhabi.
It was a great pleasure to host my brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg. I am deeply touched by his gesture of visiting Delhi this evening. We discussed a wide range of issues aimed at further strengthening the multifaceted India-UAE… pic.twitter.com/yzXAt7Mx43
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 19, 2026
