Dubai-India economic relations highlighted at World Leaders Forum

Dubai Chambers has highlighted the continued expansion of economic ties between Dubai and India, driven by growing trade and investment flows and increasing cooperation in future-focused sectors.

Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, discussed the strength of bilateral relations during a panel session at The Economic Times World Leaders Forum 2026 in New Delhi.

The event brought together leading investors and senior executives from India and around the world and was attended by His Excellency Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.

During the session, Lootah revealed that Dubai’s non-oil trade with India reached a record Dhs222.5 billion in 2025, representing annual growth of 15%. Bilateral trade has risen by 136.2% over the past decade, up from AED94.2 billion in 2016, reinforcing India’s position as Dubai’s second-largest trading partner. He noted that relations between Dubai and India continue to expand and diversify in line with the evolving needs of businesses in both markets. While trade remains a key pillar of bilateral ties, cooperation is increasingly extending into future-focused sectors including Agentic AI and the digital economy, which are expected to play an important role in the next phase of the partnership.

Lootah highlighted the growth of investment flows between Dubai and India, as well as the rising number of Indian companies leveraging Dubai as a base for international expansion.

Dubai provides Indian businesses with a highly connected platform offering access to markets across the Middle East, Africa and beyond, supported by advanced infrastructure, global connectivity, a competitive business environment and direct links to customers, investors and partners.

Lootah said, “The confidence of the Indian business community in the growth opportunities offered by Dubai is reflected in the 7,579 new Indian companies that joined Dubai Chamber of Commerce during the first half of this year. This brought the total number of Indian companies registered as active members of the chamber to 85,841 by the end of June 2026, representing year-on-year growth of 15%.

“These figures demonstrate that Indian companies increasingly view Dubai as a global hub from which to develop their international operations and expand their investments. They also reflect the Indian business community’s strong confidence in Dubai and its future growth prospects.” Lootah revealed that Dubai attracted approximately AED32.3 billion in Indian investments between 2016 and 2025, including AED8.4 billion in foreign direct investment during 2025 alone.

Meanwhile, Dubai-based companies invested AED34.1 billion across 147 projects in India between 2016 and 2025, contributing to the creation of 55,274 jobs.

He also highlighted the diversity of Dubai’s Indian business community. Trade and services account for 45% of all active Indian companies registered as members of Dubai Chamber of Commerce, followed by real estate, leasing and business services at 27.3%, and construction at 19%.

Lootah underlined the importance of the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which came into effect in May 2022.

WAM