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UAE-India: A partnership that dates back centuries

Dubai - Trade has long been the primary activity that connected the Indian subcontinent with the UAE.

Strong and mutually benefitting relations between the UAE and India started centuries ago by virtue of the two countries' strategic locations along global maritime trade routes.

The Trucial States (now the UAE), under the British protectorate from 1820-1971, had long-established economic and political links with India and trade has long been the primary activity connecting the people of both nations.

In the 19th century, the nominally-independent Shaikhdoms were administered by the British Raj. In particular, trade and banking sectors in the territories were administered by the Khoja and Kutchi communities of India.

The Indian rupee was used as the currency and Indian stamps, overlaid with the name of the emirate, were used for postal correspondence. Prior to the discovery of oil in commercial quantities, Dubai had traditionally served as an entrepôt for trade between the Middle East and the subcontinent, much like Hong Kong and Singapore have long been the entry port between the east and west.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Indian migration to the UAE drastically increased with the expansion of the oil industry and the growth of free trade. At present, Indians form the largest expat community in the UAE, estimated at about 2.6 million people.

See photo gallery: UAE and India: A look at their historic friendship

After establishment of federation

Modern-day relations between the UAE and India began with the establishment of the UAE Embassy in New Delhi in 1972. In 1973, the Emirati consulate was established in Mumbai, along with the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Indian Consulate in Dubai.

The UAE's founding father, the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, emphasised the importance of relations with India.

Shaikh Zayed's intent was reflected in his historic visit to India in January 1975, where he met with then Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi and signed a cultural agreement along with various other ground-breaking agreements. In return, Indian president Dr Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad made a historic visit to the UAE in November 1976

The leaders of both countries broke grounds and put forth the advantages that can be achieved with political and economic accord. And the importance of relations between the two countries were fortified in a series of mutual visits.

Shaikh Zayed again visited India in 1983 and 1992, leading to the establishment of special relations between the UAE and India.

With Shaikh Zayed's visit to India in April 1992, the two countries entered a new phase of relations, as reflected in the magnitude and quality of the reception he received upon his arrival in New Delhi.

In an interview he gave to the Indian media during that visit and his meeting with then Indian president Ramaswamy Venkataraman, the late Sheikh Zayed communicated his vision of relations with India and his vision of the future of cooperation and friendship between the two countries.

He stressed that relations between the UAE and India were strong and solid due to the historical ties of cooperation between the two peoples. He said his visit was intended to express his renewed support for existing relations between the two countries and for the development of friendship ties between the two peoples. He also expressed his optimism on the continuation of India's constructive role, with its benevolent efforts, in the security and stability of the Gulf region.

angel@khaleejtimes.com