Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi’s push to build a crude export route outside the Strait of Hormuz has moved to the centre of Gulf energy security after ADNOC said its new West-East Pipeline is about halfway complete and on course to expand shipments through Fujairah by 2027. The project, being fast-tracked under the direction of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Senior ministers, diplomats and business leaders from the UAE and India used a Dubai forum on Monday evening to sharpen a shared push for bilateral trade to reach $200 billion by 2032, building on the momentum generated by the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. The high-level gathering, hosted by the UAE India Business Council’s UAE chapter under the theme “Strength in Resilience”, brought together […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Fujairah has become the first completed passenger station on Etihad Rail’s national network, marking a significant step towards the phased start of UAE passenger train operations later this year. The station, located in Madinat Al Hilal, spans 51,900 square metres and places the east coast emirate at the centre of the opening stage linking Fujairah with Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Adhraa Al Mansoori, […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi schoolgirl Nakshatra Prem has built a free mobile app to help classmates manage fear, uncertainty and stress during emergency alerts, turning her own moment of panic into a student-led mental health tool. Nakshatra, a 12-year-old Grade 7 pupil at Abu Dhabi Indian School, developed the Android app “Al Amal – The Hope” after hearing emergency alerts for the first time amid […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai ADNOC Distribution and Americana Restaurants International PLC have agreed to open up to 200 quick-service restaurants across fuel and mobility sites in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, deepening a push to turn service stations into broader dining, retail and convenience destinations. The strategic partnership announced on Tuesday will bring brands from Americana Restaurants’ portfolio into ADNOC Distribution locations, including standard service stations […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Standard Chartered is moving to bring Zodia Custody’s crypto custody business inside its own digital-asset operations, marking a sharper push by the London-headquartered bank to capture institutional demand for regulated storage of tokens and blockchain-based financial assets. The planned acquisition would fold key custody activities of Zodia Custody Ltd., a majority-owned subsidiary, into Standard Chartered’s corporate and investment banking division, where the bank […]
Abu Dhabi technology group G42 and the Government of India have formalised terms to deploy Condor Galaxy India, an 8-exaflop artificial intelligence supercomputing cluster designed to strengthen the country’s sovereign AI infrastructure and widen access to advanced computing for research, public services and industry. The agreement, witnessed by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Modi’s official state visit to […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Energy has joined a $9.75 billion financing package for the Commonwealth LNG export project in Louisiana, giving a major Gulf investor a deeper role in the expanding United States gas export market as buyers seek long-term energy supplies outside traditional Middle East routes. The investment is tied to Caturus, the US energy platform developing the project in Cameron Parish, where […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Tehran’s state broadcasting apparatus has drawn Gulf attention after a presenter fired at a target bearing the UAE flag during a televised firearms training segment, an on-air act that added a provocative media dimension to sharpening tensions between Iran and Abu Dhabi. The segment, aired on the state-run Ofogh TV network, showed a firearms instructor guiding the presenter through the handling of a […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi authorities contained a fire at an external electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Al Dhafra after a drone-linked incident, with officials reporting no injuries, no radiological impact and no disruption to essential nuclear safety systems. The incident drew swift attention because Barakah is the Arab world’s first commercial nuclear power station and a central […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai UAE media regulators have opened a nationwide awareness drive in Abu Dhabi to promote clearer standards for digital, broadcast and publishing content, placing influencers, creators and media professionals at the centre of a campaign designed to strengthen responsible communication across all emirates. The National Media Authority held the first session of the 2026 Media Content Standards Awareness Campaign at Al Mushrif Majlis in […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi has moved to accelerate a strategic crude oil pipeline expansion that would sharply increase exports through Fujairah, as confrontation between the United States and Iran intensifies pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and exposes the vulnerability of Gulf energy routes. The project is designed to double the country’s capacity to ship crude from the Gulf of Oman coast by 2027, reducing […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Etihad Airways has signed a codeshare agreement with Uzbekistan Airways, opening eight destinations across Uzbekistan to its global passengers and giving travellers from Tashkent access to Abu Dhabi through a single-ticket arrangement. The agreement takes effect from 15 May 2026 and is designed to connect Etihad’s international network with Uzbekistan Airways’ domestic reach through Tashkent, the largest city in Central Asia. Bookings are […]
The agreement, reached during Modi’s official visit to Abu Dhabi on 15 May 2026, includes a strategic collaboration between Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company to expand the UAE’s participation in India’s strategic petroleum reserves to 30 million barrels. Both sides will also work on establishing strategic gas reserves, a move that signals a broader shift from emergency crude storage towards a more diversified energy security framework.
The pact places ADNOC at the centre of New Delhi’s stockpiling strategy. The UAE became the first country to partner with India in strategic petroleum storage when ADNOC stored crude in the Mangaluru cavern under an earlier arrangement. The new framework is substantially larger and comes as India seeks to reduce exposure to sudden disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions-driven shifts in trade flows, shipping risks, and sharp swings in spot fuel prices.
India, the world’s third-largest oil consumer, imports more than 85 per cent of its crude requirement and nearly half of its natural gas needs. Its existing strategic petroleum reserve system has underground rock caverns at Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru and Padur, with a combined capacity of about 5.33 million tonnes, equivalent to roughly 39 million barrels. These reserves are separate from commercial inventories held by refiners and oil marketing companies.
The current reserve base covers only a limited number of consumption days, making expansion a long-standing policy priority. Phase-two plans have included additional capacity at Padur and a new facility at Chandikhol in Odisha, while officials have explored public-private partnership models to bring in foreign oil producers and trading firms. The UAE arrangement is likely to support that model by tying storage capacity to assured supply and commercial flexibility.
The energy package also includes a long-term LPG supply arrangement between Indian Oil Limited and ADNOC. The UAE is already the largest source of LPG for India, meeting about 40 per cent of its import requirement. A deeper supply contract is significant for household energy security, as LPG remains a politically sensitive fuel linked to cooking gas access, subsidy management and inflation expectations.
Gas cooperation is another important element. New Delhi has been trying to raise the share of natural gas in its energy mix, but price volatility and limited storage have slowed progress. Strategic gas reserves could help shield fertiliser plants, city gas distributors, power producers and industrial users from abrupt supply constraints. The concept remains more complex than crude storage because gas requires specialised infrastructure, including LNG terminals, underground storage or converted reservoirs, but the agreement shows that both governments see gas security as part of the next phase of their partnership.
The Abu Dhabi talks also build on a wider hydrocarbons relationship. The UAE was among India’s top crude suppliers last year and has become a central partner in LNG, LPG, upstream investment and petroleum product trade. State-backed companies from India hold stakes in Abu Dhabi oil assets, including the Lower Zakum concession and Onshore Block 1, marking a rare upstream footprint for New Delhi in the Gulf.
The timing gives the agreement strategic weight. West Asian tensions have renewed concern over maritime chokepoints and insurance costs for energy cargoes. Any prolonged disruption near the Gulf would affect Asia’s largest consuming economies first, particularly import-dependent buyers such as India, Japan, South Korea and China. Larger stockpiles do not remove that vulnerability, but they give policymakers more room to manage price spikes, refinery supply schedules and emergency releases.
For the UAE, the pact strengthens its role as a long-term energy partner beyond crude sales. ADNOC has been widening its international storage, trading, LNG and downstream footprint as Abu Dhabi positions itself as both a reliable supplier and a capital partner. Participation in overseas strategic reserves gives the company access to storage optionality while reinforcing diplomatic ties with major demand centres.
The Modi-Sheikh Mohamed meeting also covered defence, investment, infrastructure and regional security, underscoring the shift in bilateral ties from labour, remittances and trade towards a broader strategic partnership. The UAE hosts a large expatriate community from India and remains one of New Delhi’s most important Gulf economic partners, with strong links in logistics, ports, food security, renewable energy and financial services.
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai ADNOC has exchanged two strategic collaboration agreements with partners from India, widening Abu Dhabi’s role in crude storage, LPG supply and energy-security planning at a time of volatile shipping routes and rising fuel demand across Asia. The agreements were announced in Abu Dhabi on 15 May 2026 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UAE, in the presence of President Sheikh Mohamed […]
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan welcomed Modi on arrival, underscoring the personal diplomacy that has become a defining feature of ties between the two leaders. The visit opened the first leg of Modi’s five-nation tour, which is scheduled to include the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy between May 15 and 20.
The Abu Dhabi stop carries immediate strategic weight for New Delhi as energy markets remain exposed to geopolitical pressure and supply uncertainty. Discussions between the two sides were centred on long-term energy arrangements, petroleum reserves, liquefied petroleum gas supply and a wider defence framework, reflecting the broadening scope of a relationship once driven largely by trade, remittances and crude oil.
Agreements signed during the visit covered defence cooperation, petroleum reserve collaboration and LPG supply. The defence pact points to a gradual shift in the partnership towards security coordination, technology exchange and maritime stability, particularly as both countries seek to protect trade routes and energy flows across the Arabian Sea, the Gulf and the wider West Asia region.
Energy remains the strongest pillar of the relationship. The UAE is among India’s key suppliers of crude oil and gas, while Abu Dhabi’s state-linked energy companies have already taken part in India’s strategic petroleum reserve programme. New Delhi has been seeking to expand reserve capacity as part of a long-term effort to cushion the economy from global supply shocks, currency pressure and price spikes.
For Abu Dhabi, the visit fits a broader strategy of deepening ties with major Asian economies while positioning the UAE as an energy, finance, logistics and technology hub. The UAE’s investment push into ports, renewable energy, infrastructure, food corridors and financial services has increasingly aligned with India’s priorities in manufacturing, digital infrastructure and supply-chain diversification.
Bilateral trade has grown strongly since the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement came into force in 2022. The pact reduced tariffs on a wide range of goods and helped accelerate commerce in gems and jewellery, petroleum products, food, metals, machinery and services. Both sides have set ambitious targets to lift non-oil trade, while businesses have expanded their use of rupee-dirham settlement mechanisms and cross-border payment links.
The partnership has also moved deeper into technology. Artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, data centres, financial technology and advanced computing have emerged as major areas of cooperation, especially after high-level exchanges earlier this year involving Sheikh Mohamed and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The proposed deployment of advanced computing infrastructure in India, with UAE-linked institutions and companies involved, has reinforced the technology dimension of the relationship.
People-to-people ties remain central to the diplomatic equation. The UAE hosts one of the largest overseas communities from India, with millions working across construction, services, health care, finance, aviation, education and technology. Their remittances and social links have long shaped the political warmth between the two countries, while improved consular services, labour welfare frameworks and easier travel arrangements remain important issues in bilateral engagement.
Modi’s Abu Dhabi visit also follows a sequence of symbolic gestures that have strengthened the public profile of the relationship. Sheikh Mohamed visited India in January this year, while senior members of Abu Dhabi and Dubai’s ruling families have taken part in major diplomatic and technology engagements. Modi’s 2024 visit to the UAE included the inauguration of the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi, a project presented by both sides as a marker of tolerance and cultural connection.
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi’s property market has entered 2026 with record transaction values, sharply higher foreign investment and growing evidence that global capital is treating the emirate as a long-term real estate and wealth-management base rather than a cyclical Gulf property play. K Estates, a boutique luxury real estate advisory, said its Abu Dhabi Market Brief for 2026 shows total real estate transactions reaching AED66 […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi’s Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Al Zaabi has moved from a largely behind-the-scenes fiscal role into the centre of global dealmaking, taking charge of L’IMAD Holding as the emirate reshapes its sovereign investment network and pushes deeper into infrastructure, technology, finance and strategic industries. Al Zaabi, long associated with the emirate’s Department of Finance and its investment oversight bodies, was named managing […]
Emirates Global Aluminium is pursuing a stake in Sohar Aluminium as the Gulf’s largest aluminium producer seeks a wider regional footprint and greater protection against shipping and production shocks caused by the Iran war. Talks over the Omani smelter have reached an advanced stage, with discussions centred on a possible acquisition of stakes held by existing shareholders. Sohar Aluminium is owned by OQ, Abu Dhabi National Energy […]
Air Arabia’s first-quarter profit fell 22 per cent as regional conflict disrupted flying, closed airspace and forced temporary operational limits, even as the Sharjah-based low-cost carrier kept revenue broadly stable and filled a higher share of available seats. The carrier reported net profit of AED278 million for the three months ended 31 March 2026, down from AED355 million a year earlier. Turnover edged up 1 per cent […]
Aldar Properties has bought a residential and community retail project in Dubai Studio City for AED1.1 billion, marking a fresh step in the Abu Dhabi developer’s push to expand its recurring income base in Dubai’s fast-growing rental market. The acquisition from private developer SRG will give Aldar a build-to-rent community scheduled for completion in 2028. The project is planned around 312 homes across six mid-rise buildings, supported […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi has condemned an attack on an Indian-flagged cargo vessel off Oman, calling it a terrorist act that threatens international navigation, regional stability and the security of vital maritime corridors. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the strike represented a dangerous escalation against commercial shipping at a time when the Gulf of Oman and nearby Strait of Hormuz remain central to […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Vista Equity Partners has opened a new Abu Dhabi office within ADGM, giving the global enterprise software investor a regulated base in one of the region’s fastest-growing financial centres as capital flows into technology, private markets and artificial intelligence-linked infrastructure accelerate across the Gulf. VEPM Middle East Limited has secured full authorisation from ADGM’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority, allowing the firm to advise […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai M42 has launched kidney. com, a free AI-powered kidney health assistant aimed at widening access to reliable education for people living with, or at risk of, chronic kidney disease across several international markets. The platform has gone live in the UAE, France, Germany, Portugal and the UK, with further country launches planned. It combines M42’s artificial intelligence, health technology and genomics capabilities with […]
