“Enhanced Collaboration between India and UAE will be fruitful in a new world order” India and the United Arab Emirates share close historical, cultural, economic and political ties. These historic ties entered the realm of a "strategic partnership" with the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UAE in August 2015 and the return visit of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in February 2016. This strategic partnership will acquire a formal recognition with the arrival of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi in January 2017 as the Chief Guest at India's Republic Day celebrations. The session organized by the Ananta Centre brought together a number of well-known West Asia experts to discuss these initiatives so that the vision of our national leaders can be given concrete shape in the months to come. New Delhi, 5 th December 2016: Ananta Centre organized a public session on “India-UAE Relations: New Dimensions and Challenges”. His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Al Banna, UAE Ambassador to India delivered the keynote address at the session and Ambassador S K Lambah, Chairman, Ananta Aspen Centre and Former Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of India gave the inaugural remarks. The session was chaired by Ambassador Ranjit Gupta, Former Ambassador of India to Yemen and Oman. Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad, Adviser, West Asia & North Africa, Ananta Centre and Former Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia, Oman & UAE, Ambassador Sanjay Singh, Former Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, Mr. Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, Distinguished Fellow & Head, Strategic Affairs, Ananta Aspen Centre and Foreign Editor, Hindustan Times, Dr Sameena Hameed, Assistant Professor, Gulf Studies Programme, Centre for West Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru Universit and Dr P K Pradhan, Associate Fellow, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) were part of the distinguished panel. Ambassador Lambah in his opening remarks stressed the importance of the strong presence of eight million Indians in the Gulf region, the largest expat community as UAE continues to be India’s third largest trading partner. Ambassador Ranjit Gupta reaffirmed Ambassador Lambah’s statement and went on to say that the exchange of three bilateral visits between the two governments in the last eight months is quite unprecedented. UAE has always supported India’s stand against terrorism, which mirrors the strong bond between both countries. H E Dr. Ahmed Al Banna stated that “UAE looks at India as a strategic partner. There are around 2.8 million people living in the UAE and it is of considerable importance to us. There are about $ 55 billion of investments by Indian investors in UAE, with small percentage in FDI and $ 10 billion of investment in India from UAE with $ 4 billion in FDI.” He further highlighted that during the past one year the UAE’s investments in India have increased to nearly $ 1 billion as bilateral trade between the two countries continues to strengthen. Dr. Sameena Hameed pointed out that India and UAE have ambitious renewable energy goals which will be a win-win situation for both in the long run. Dr. Pradhan highlighted the importance of maritime security for the Gulf region and how it can enhance trade and commerce between the two countries. Ambassador Ahmad pointed out to the recent initiatives of the Indian Prime Minister and his visit to the four countries in the Gulf which signifies how the regional order is changing. Ambassador Singh asserted that India and UAE must initiate a dialogue to create conditions for peace and stability in the region. Mr. Chaudhuri stressed the role of US which would play a defining role in India’s relationship with the UAE. About Ananta CenterAnanta Centre is a non-partisan organization registered under the Indian Trusts Act. It focusses on values based leadership and open dialogue on challenges facing Indian society to help foster its transformation. The Centre engages civil society, business, governments and other key stakeholders to share ideas and bring a wide range of perspectives on issues important to India’s development, foreign policy, strategic affairs and national security. For more information, contact: Ms Aditi Johri Mobile: +91 9953431619/ 011-40733306 Email: aditi.johri@anantacentre.in