Jaishankar meets Ras Al Khaimah ruler, discusses India-UAE ties and Gulf situation
Synopsis
Wrapping up a three-day UAE visit, EAM Jaishankar met Ras Al Khaimah Ruler Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi to discuss India-UAE ties and the Gulf situation — capping a schedule that also included a bilateral with UAE FM Abdullah Bin Zayed and a Raisina Dialogue address where Jaishankar explicitly flagged IMEC as already reshaping regional connectivity thinking.
Key Takeaways
EAM S Jaishankar met Ras Al Khaimah Ruler Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi on 16 October 2026 in Abu Dhabi .
Discussions covered strengthening India-UAE bilateral ties and the situation in the Gulf .
On 15 October , Jaishankar addressed the Raisina Middle East Dialogue , highlighting IMEC as a key connectivity initiative shaping regional thinking.
On 14 October , he met UAE Deputy PM and FM Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan under the framework of the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership .
The UAE visit ran from 14–16 October 2026 , spanning multilateral and bilateral engagements.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday, 16 October held a bilateral meeting with Ras Al Khaimah Ruler Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi in Abu Dhabi, with discussions centred on further strengthening India-UAE ties and the evolving situation in the Gulf. The meeting came on the final day of Jaishankar's three-day official visit to the UAE.
What Was Discussed
Following the meeting, Jaishankar posted on X: 'An honour to meet HH Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah and member of the UAE Supreme Council. Grateful for his insights on further strengthening India-UAE ties, and deepening engagements with the region. The situation in the Gulf also came up for discussion.'
Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi is a member of the UAE Supreme Council, making the engagement diplomatically significant at the highest levels of the Emirates' federal structure. The Gulf region has remained a focal point of geopolitical attention amid ongoing tensions, adding strategic weight to the discussion.
Raisina Middle East Dialogue Participation
On Thursday, 15 October, Jaishankar participated in a session titled 'The Continental Corridors: Who Connects the Heartland?' at the Raisina Middle East Dialogue in Abu Dhabi. The second edition of the forum was co-hosted by India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 14–15 October.
In his remarks, Jaishankar outlined India's strategic positioning amid a shifting global order. 'Competition has intensified, new chokepoints have emerged, and the willingness to leverage advantages has grown. Globalisation cannot be reversed, but it must be navigated with greater resilience. IMEC is already shaping regional thinking on connectivity. As the global landscape evolves, India is building its own strengths and establishing trusted partnerships,' he said, as posted on X.
The reference to IMEC — the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor — underscores New Delhi's ambition to position itself as a pivotal node in an emerging alternative to China's Belt and Road connectivity architecture.
Meeting With UAE Foreign Minister
On Wednesday, 14 October, Jaishankar met his UAE counterpart, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, to exchange views on bilateral and global issues. 'A warm and productive meeting with DPM and FM Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan of UAE. Exchanged perspectives on bilateral and global issues in the spirit of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,' Jaishankar noted.
The India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, formalised in 2017 and upgraded since, covers trade, energy, defence, and people-to-people ties. Bilateral trade stood at over $85 billion in recent estimates, making the UAE one of India's top trading partners.
Significance of the Visit
Jaishankar's 14–16 October visit to the UAE is the latest in a series of high-level diplomatic engagements between the two countries. This comes amid India's active outreach across the Gulf — a region home to nearly 3.5 million members of the Indian diaspora and a critical supplier of India's energy needs. The Gulf situation, including spillover concerns from regional conflicts, is increasingly on the agenda of New Delhi's bilateral conversations with Arab partners.
With Jaishankar returning after a packed schedule spanning multilateral dialogues and bilateral meetings, the broader contours of India's Gulf engagement are expected to remain active through the remainder of 2026.
Point of View
A Raisina address, and a courtesy call on the Ras Al Khaimah ruler — reflects a deliberate multi-track approach to the Gulf that goes beyond crisis management. The explicit invocation of IMEC at Raisina is telling: India is not merely participating in conversations about Middle East connectivity, it is attempting to lead them. Yet the gap between IMEC's announcement momentum and its on-ground execution remains wide. The Gulf situation reference in the Ras Al Khaimah readout hints at deeper private conversations that public statements only partially reveal — a reminder that India's Gulf diplomacy is growing in strategic ambition even as the region itself grows more volatile.
NationPress
16 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did EAM Jaishankar visit the UAE in October 2026?
Jaishankar was on an official visit to the UAE from 14–16 October 2026 for the Raisina Middle East Dialogue and a series of bilateral meetings, including with UAE FM Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and Ras Al Khaimah Ruler Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi. The visit aimed to deepen India-UAE ties and discuss the regional Gulf situation.
What is the Raisina Middle East Dialogue?
The Raisina Middle East Dialogue is a joint initiative of India's Ministry of External Affairs and the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held in Abu Dhabi. Its second edition took place on 14–15 October 2026, focusing on geopolitics, connectivity, and regional strategy.
What did Jaishankar say about IMEC at the Raisina Dialogue?
Jaishankar said that the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is already shaping regional thinking on connectivity. He framed it as part of India's broader strategy to build its own strengths and establish trusted partnerships as the global landscape evolves.
Who is Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi?
Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi is the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah and a member of the UAE Supreme Council, the country's highest federal authority. His meeting with Jaishankar reflects engagement at the top tier of the UAE's federal political structure.
What is the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership?
The India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is a framework covering trade, energy, defence, and people-to-people ties, formalised in 2017 and strengthened since. Bilateral trade between the two countries has been estimated at over $85 billion, making the UAE one of India's largest trading partners.
