By Aparna Deb,News18
Copyright news18
Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal will on Thursday co-chair the 13th meeting of the India-UAE High Level Task Force on Investments (HLJTFI) with Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, managing director of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, in Abu Dhabi.
The agenda includes reviewing progress on the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), the Double Taxation Treaty, and matters related to the two countries’ central banks. Both sides will also explore fresh opportunities for collaboration in sectors such as maritime and space, which hold high growth potential.
Goyal’s two-day UAE visit from September 18-19 will also feature a co-chaired roundtable of the UAE-India Business Council (UIBC) with Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, the UAE’s minister of foreign trade, as well as interactions with top CEOs from both nations. Bilateral meetings will focus on boosting trade, investment, and sectoral cooperation.
The minister is further expected to meet Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE’s national security adviser and chairman of International Holding Company (IHC), Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, and Syed Basar Shueb, MD of IHC, among other key stakeholders.
The 12th HLJTFI, held in Mumbai in October 2024, saw the ratification of the Bilateral Investment Treaty signed during PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the UAE earlier that year. Since its inception in 2013, the HLJTFI has served as a key platform for advancing economic ties and resolving investor concerns.
The UAE continues to be one of India’s most important strategic partners, with robust engagement across energy, defence, technology, and food security. Since CEPA came into force in May 2022, bilateral merchandise trade has nearly doubled — from $43.3 billion in FY21 to $83.7 billion in FY24 — with a strong push towards non-oil sectors.
