General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE armed forces, will be paying his first state visit to India from 10 February to 12 February, accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers, officials and businessmen.
During his visit, Al Nahyan will be holding bilateral talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also call on Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, according to a statement issued by India's external affairs ministry.
The two countries are expected to sign about 16 agreements, including one on civil nuclear agreement.
"India and the UAE hope to sign 16 pacts during the visit of Abu Dabhi crown prince. These include a pact on civil nuclear cooperation involving power stations and setting up research and development centres," the UAE's envoy to India Ahmed AR Albanna told reporters in New Delhi on Monday.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is India's third largest trading partner; the bilateral trade between the two countries was valued at $59 billion in 2014-2015.
The UAE is also among the top investors in India and was the the sixth largest supplier of crude oil to India in 2014-2015. The country is also significant from a remittances point of view and enhancing people-to-people contacts.
"About 2.6 million strong and vibrant Indian community forms the largest expatriate group in UAE," the statement said, and added: "India has vital stakes in the security and stability of the Gulf region, which hosts over seven million Indians. This region is also the source of nearly two-third of India's crude oil requirements and is our largest trading partner."
The UAE is the largest market in the West Asia for Indian products.
Earlier, in September last year, UAE foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited India for the 11th meeting of India-UAE Joint Commission For Economic and Technical Cooperation that was co-chaired by India's foreign affairs ministry.
The two sides discussed setting up joint R&D ventures in science and technology and stepping up UAE investments in India's manufacturing sector.
