Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a rare aerial welcome on Friday as UAE Air Force F16 fighter jets escorted his aircraft as it entered UAE airspace.
A video of the escort, shared by PTI, shows an F16 flying close alongside the prime ministerial aircraft, visible from the cabin window against a clear desert sky.
VIDEO | UAE F16 jets escort PM Modi's plane as it enters UAE airspace.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 15, 2026
(Source: Third Party)
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/8qquBylJf4
The gesture is a mark of high honour reserved for visiting heads of state and reflects the depth of the India-UAE relationship, which has grown steadily over the past decade into one of India's most significant bilateral partnerships in the Gulf.
Modi landed in Abu Dhabi for the first leg of a packed five-nation tour that will take him to the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy between May 15 and 20.
The visit is his first to the UAE since the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was elevated, and comes after UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited India in January and the UAE Crown Prince attended India's AI Summit in February.
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In Abu Dhabi, Modi is scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with a focus on advancing the comprehensive strategic partnership and exchanging views on the West Asia conflict.
The UAE remains India's third-largest trade partner and its seventh-largest source of investment over the past 25 years. More than 4.5 million Indians live in the UAE, making the diaspora's welfare another key item on the agenda.
The broader tour is expected to focus on trade and investment, energy cooperation, emerging technologies and strengthening India's strategic engagement with Europe.
It comes at a particularly charged moment — the Hormuz crisis has disrupted energy flows in the region, and India, which imports nearly 85% of its crude oil, has a direct stake in how the conflict in West Asia unfolds.
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