Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth met Khaled bin Hussein Al-Biyari, Saudi Arabia’s Assistant Minister of Defence for Executive Affairs, on the sidelines of the World Defence Show 2026 in Riyadh. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh shared the development on X, stating that the meeting aimed at strengthening the India–Saudi strategic partnership. Discussions centred on expanding defence cooperation and enhancing engagement across services.

The meeting followed the 8th Abu Dhabi Dialogue, during which India engaged with the UAE on issues related to migrant welfare and skills development. The Indian delegation to the dialogue, held in Dubai from January 31 to February 1, was led by Prashant Pise, Additional Secretary (Emigration Policy and Welfare), according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

Established in 2008, the Abu Dhabi Dialogue is a voluntary and non-binding regional consultative forum comprising 11 Asian labour-sending countries and seven destination countries. It facilitates cooperation on contractual labour mobility, exchange of best practices, and sharing of experiences. India’s active participation reflects its commitment to ensuring safe, orderly, and legal migration while protecting the rights and welfare of Indian migrant workers.

India and the UAE established diplomatic relations in 1972, with embassies opening in the early 1970s. Bilateral ties gained renewed momentum after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UAE in 2015, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 34 years, marking the start of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This was followed by several subsequent visits, including the most recent in February 2024, when Prime Minister Modi addressed the Indian community in Abu Dhabi and inaugurated the BAPS Hindu Mandir, the first Hindu temple in the Middle East.