External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday for a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he will review the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and participate in the second Raisina Middle East Forum.

Upon his arrival, Jaishankar was received by UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy. He later stated that he looked forward to his discussions during the visit.

During his stay, Jaishankar is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The meeting will comprehensively assess progress under the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and explore ways to further strengthen strategic cooperation, trade and economic engagement.

The visit also includes Jaishankar’s participation in the second edition of the Raisina Middle East Forum in Abu Dhabi. The event is expected to bring together policymakers, diplomats and strategic experts to discuss key geopolitical and security developments affecting the Middle East and the wider region.

His visit comes at a time of continuing tensions across West Asia and heightened concerns over regional stability. Security developments have increasingly become a focus for Gulf states amid evolving regional challenges.

Earlier this week, UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash called for the revival of joint Gulf action, particularly in the areas of security and defence. He stressed the need to strengthen the collective security framework following escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Gargash said recent attacks had demonstrated that the security of Gulf countries was indivisible, arguing that threats directed at Saudi Arabia also affected the security of the UAE and the wider Gulf region. He warned that neglect of collective security arrangements had encouraged hostile actors to test regional limits and emphasised that Gulf security was a shared responsibility requiring urgent attention.

His remarks followed the 10 October attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport. The death toll from the incident rose to 13 after the Indian Embassy in Riyadh confirmed that an Indian national who had been injured in the attack later died. The attack has intensified calls for closer regional coordination on security and defence matters.

ANI