Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United Arab Emirates this week will focus on strengthening India’s energy security and enhancing trade and cooperation amid continuing tensions in West Asia, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday.
On whether India was adopting a new policy on buying oil from Russia despite the sanctions, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India will continue to source oil based on the energy security needs and interests of its 1.4 billion people.
Earlier in the day, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri refuted reports on India refusing a LNG consignment from Russia. “We have never imported LNG from Russia,” the Minister said at the CII Annual Summit.
Modi will arrive in the UAE on May 15 as part of his five-nation diplomatic tour which will also include visits to the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy.
The PM is scheduled to hold talks with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.
The visit comes at a time when India is bracing for a oil crisis due to the prolonged West Asia crisis disrupting supplies. As global disruptions from the Iran conflict intensify, India is in discussions with the UAE possible long-term alternative routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz to ensure stable energy exports.
“Modi’s UAE visit priority is to strengthen energy supplies,” Jaiswal said while commenting on the Prime Minister’s trip to the Gulf nation, adding that there would also be discussions on trade.
India-UAE bilateral trade surpassed $100 billion in FY26.
Published on May 12, 2026