'Investopia Dialogues' launched to bolster UAE-India partnership

Investopia launched a new edition of the ‘Investopia Dialogues’ on Thursday in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, marking its fifth consecutive edition in India. The event brought together over 500 leaders, senior officials, investors, and entrepreneurs from the UAE and India. The dialogues aim to strengthen bilateral economic and investment partnerships between the two countries while exploring new opportunities in future-oriented and sustainable sectors, in line with global economic shifts and in support of growth driven by knowledge, innovation, and advanced technologies.

The event was attended by Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism and Co-Chair of the Investopia Board of Trustees; and Bhupendrabhai Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat. Participants also included Abdulrahman Mohammed Alhawi, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Investment and President of Investopia; Dhafer Al Qasimi, CEO of Silal Group; Sheikh Saqr Bin Omar Al Qasimi, CEO of Marjan Developers; Yusuff Ali M.A. Chairman & Managing Director of LuLu Group, and Eng. Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi, Group CEO of EMSTEEL.

Investopia - Ahmedabad explored the prospects for strengthening bilateral economic cooperation and enhancing the private sector's role in expanding investment partnerships between the two sides. These efforts aim to boost capital flows and strengthen cooperation across logistics, food security, advanced manufacturing, financial services, tourism, and artificial intelligence (AI). The event also featured several roundtable discussions and multiple bilateral meetings.

Bin Touq emphasised that the UAE-India economic relations are strategic and experiencing rapid growth across vital sectors, driven by the shared vision of both leaderships. "Investopia provides a vital platform to elevate bilateral partnerships to new heights, particularly in new economy sectors. It continues to solidify its role as a leading global platform connecting governments with business communities and investors, transforming economic opportunities into high-quality projects and strategic partnerships that drive the competitiveness of both business communities,” he stated.

Bin Touq added: "The UAE-India economic partnership is an advanced model for sustainable growth and economic integration, opening up broad horizons to enhance opportunities and expand joint economic activities. The total number of Indian companies operating in the UAE reached 290,222 by the end of H1 2026, reflecting a 16.7 per cent growth compared to the same period in 2025."

He continued: "Furthermore, the number of Indian companies in the UAE surged by 109 per cent between 2020 and 2025, underscoring the growing footprint and investments of the Indian business community in the UAE markets.”

Abdulrahman Mohammed Alhawi, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Investment and President of Investopia said: "The investment partnership between the UAE and the Republic of India is among the most dynamic and fastest-growing globally, particularly since the Bilateral Investment Treaty came into force in 2024. Today, the UAE accounts for more than 70% of the total investment inflows from the GCC countries into India, while nearly 4,000 new Indian companies joined the Dubai Chamber of Commerce during the first quarter of 2026. Investopia Dialogues - Ahmedabad marks a new milestone in this strategic partnership. Through this platform, we look forward to further expanding bilateral investments, strengthening the role of the private sector in the next phase, and reinforcing the UAE's position as a leading gateway that enables Indian companies to access global markets."

Sheikh Saqr Bin Omar Al Qasimi, CEO of Marjan Developers, said: "Investopia in Ahmedabad reflects the depth of the UAE-India relationship, one that is deeply personal to us at Marjan, where Indian investors are among our most committed partners in shaping Ras Al Khaimah into a world-class destination.”

Eng. Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi, Group CEO of EMSTEEL Group, said: "Our participation in Investopia India underscores EMSTEEL’s commitment to strengthening strategic partnerships that support sustainable industrial growth. The UAE and India share a strong and growing economic relationship, creating significant opportunities for collaboration across manufacturing, infrastructure, innovation, and low-carbon industrial development. As a leading national industrial company, EMSTEEL continues to contribute to advancing this strategic partnership while supporting the ambitions of both nations for a more sustainable and resilient future.”

Yusuff Ali M.A., Chairman, Lulu Group:"Very happy to be a part of Investopia Global event in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. In the event, we have announced an INR 4000-crore (AED 1.53 billion) investment project to come up with a modern Shopping Mall, 5-star Hotel and furnished residential apartments in an area of nearly 21 acres of land that we have recently acquired in Ahmedabad. The project is expected to provide more than 15,000 employment to residents of the State. In addition to this, we are also initiating for a Food Park as well as planning for a Fish-processing plant.”

During the event, Bin Touq held a bilateral meeting with Bhupendrabhai Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat, to discuss prospects for enhancing economic cooperation between the UAE and Gujarat. The meeting explored new partnership opportunities in priority sectors such as advanced manufacturing, logistics, food security, and tourism and highlighted the importance of reinforcing partnerships between the UAE and Indian business communities.

Bin Touq noted that the selection of Gujarat to host the event reflects its position as a leading industrial and economic hub in India. The state boasts an integrated ecosystem encompassing ports, industry, food processing, renewable energy, logistics, and entrepreneurship. He added that Gujarat serves as a crucial focal point for the next phase of the UAE-India Economic Corridor, offering promising opportunities to strengthen cooperation in resilient supply chains, advanced manufacturing, food security, financial services, and tourism.

The session titled "Building Gujarat's AI Economy" explored opportunities to develop a comprehensive artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem by boosting investments in data centres, computing capabilities, and digital infrastructure, supporting Gujarat's ambition to become a regional hub for technology, innovation, and advanced manufacturing. The discussion also highlighted opportunities for UAE-India collaboration in AI and advanced technologies, emphasising the importance of forging strategic partnerships that attract high-quality investments and build digital infrastructure capable of supporting the rapid growth of the digital economy.

Another session, titled the "Frontier Industries," explored opportunities for collaboration across advanced manufacturing sectors, including semiconductors, industrial engineering, automotive manufacturing, and advanced materials. Discussions focused on accelerating knowledge and technology transfer and developing smarter, more sustainable production chains that enhance the competitiveness of the UAE and Indian economies in the future industries.

Furthermore, the "Scaling Bilateral Investment" session explored mechanisms to strengthen capital flows between the UAE and India, highlighting the role of sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and private capital in financing strategic projects and infrastructure. Discussions also focused on fostering a more agile investment environment that supports the growth of high-return sectors and accelerates economic partnerships between the two countries.

The "The New Financial Corridor" session examined the importance of strengthening collaboration between the UAE's and India's financial centres, enhancing regulatory frameworks, and improving market connectivity to facilitate cross-border capital flows. The discussion also explored opportunities for cooperation in fund management and financial technology (fintech), helping businesses access financing opportunities through advanced financial platforms.

The "Food Security and Agri-Value Chains" session explored opportunities to deepen cooperation in modern agriculture, food processing, AgriTech, cold chain infrastructure, and logistics, supporting sustainable food supplies while strengthening the resilience of supply chains in the face of global challenges.

Finally, the "Tourism, Sports, and the Experience Economy" session highlighted opportunities to expand collaboration across tourism, aviation, hospitality, and sports and entertainment events, and examined their role in enhancing the appeal of economic destinations, creating new investment opportunities, supporting the growth of the experience economy, and increasing tourism flows between the two sides.