Saudi Arabia and UAE on the Brink of War, MBZ Arrives in India: What's the Full Story?

UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is scheduled to arrive in India today. MBZ is arriving in India amidst tensions with Saudi Arabia. Read the full story...

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are on the brink of war. Amidst this, the UAE President, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is scheduled to visit India today. MBZ will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two leaders will discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest. Discussions may cover trade, investment, defence cooperation, energy, and other important global issues between the two countries. Meanwhile, after escalating tensions with Saudi Arabia, the UAE seeks to strengthen ties with India, as Saudi Arabia is preparing an "Islamic NATO" with Pakistan and Turkey.

Both Countries are Partners on Several Global Forums

India and the United Arab Emirates are important partners for India on several global forums. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs stated regarding MBZ's visit that the two countries have a strong, long-standing partnership in energy supply. Furthermore, the local currency settlement system and the Bilateral Investment Treaty have further strengthened economic relations. The Ministry added that the visit will provide an opportunity to further advance the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and explore new avenues of cooperation on regional and global issues of mutual interest. We are also close allies with the UAE on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, BRICS, I2U2, and UFI. Additionally, the UAE is India's third-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade exceeding ₹6 lakh crore.

Former Indian diplomat KC Singh stated that UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed is visiting India. During this visit, he will certainly try to bring India into his camp, but India is unlikely to make the mistake of choosing between Saudi Arabia or the UAE. Explaining the reason behind this, he said that India has good relations with both countries. In such a situation, choosing one would be tantamount to directly inviting enmity from the other. He added that this would also affect Indian citizens residing in those countries, who are present in large numbers.

Why Saudi Arabia and the UAE are at Odds

The recent tension between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) primarily originated in Yemen. In December 2025, the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) captured large areas in southern and eastern Yemen (Hadhramaut, Al-Mahra), close to the Saudi border. Saudi Arabia considered this a threat to its national security and described it as UAE-backed separatist activity. On December 30, 2025, the Saudi Air Force attacked the port of Mukalla, where weapons and military equipment allegedly from the UAE were present. Saudi Arabia issued an ultimatum to the UAE to withdraw its forces from Yemen within 24 hours. The UAE denied these allegations but later withdrew its remaining troops.