INDIA’S GROWING STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE AMIDST THE PAKISTAN-SAUDI ARABIA EQUATION: DEVANAND SINGH

INDIA’S GROWING STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE AMIDST THE PAKISTAN-SAUDI ARABIA EQUATION: DEVANAND SINGH

24-JAN-ENG 10

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA---------------------------The sudden, brief visit of UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Delhi holds far greater significance than mere diplomatic courtesy. This visit not only elevated India-UAE relations to new heights but also underscored India's role in the changing geopolitics of West Asia. This is why the visit is being viewed through the "lens" of the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defense agreement.

First, it is important to consider the nature of this visit. No prior formal announcement, no detailed schedule, and no plans for a long stay—yet Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself welcoming the UAE President at Palam Airport indicates that the matter was not ordinary. In Indian diplomacy, a personal welcome by the Prime Minister is reserved for select and strategically important leaders. This in itself reflects the depth of India-UAE relations.

The visit naturally brings to mind the five-hour visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India in December 2021. The reason given then was Covid, but the message was clear—time constraints do not hinder strategic partnerships. The UAE President's visit can also be placed in the same category, where significant messages were conveyed in a short time.

Former diplomat K.C. Singh's statement that the lack of prior notice for this visit points to unusual developments in West Asia is extremely important. In recent years, the Gulf region has not remained limited to just energy or migrant workers, but has become a center of the global balance of power. The partial withdrawal of the US, China's growing interest, Iran-Israel tensions, and the impact of the Ukraine war have all complicated regional equations.

Against this backdrop, the signing of a Letter of Intent for a Strategic Defense Partnership between India and the UAE is considered extremely significant. Until now, India-UAE relations have primarily focused on trade, investment, energy, and the Indian diaspora. The formalization of the defense partnership indicates that the UAE now views India not merely as an economic partner, but also as a crucial pillar in the security balance.

Here, the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defense agreement naturally comes to mind. This agreement, signed in September 2025, stipulates that an attack on either Saudi Arabia or Pakistan will be considered an attack on both. This arrangement is reminiscent of the collective security concept similar to NATO's Article 5. Pakistan possesses nuclear capabilities, and Saudi Arabia has long relied on its military assistance. This agreement has given a new dimension to the balance of power in the Gulf region.

In this context, the UAE's concerns are understandable. Saudi Arabia is both its biggest rival and partner in the Gulf region. If the Saudi-Pakistan defense axis strengthens, it becomes necessary for the UAE to create a strategic balance. In this regard, the comment by Middle East Eye analyst Reip Soylu is significant: that the UAE is partnering with nuclear-armed India to counterbalance Saudi Arabia's defense agreement with nuclear-armed Pakistan.

India emerges as a "stabilizing power" in this equation. India neither directly intervenes in the internal politics of the Gulf nor openly sides with any one faction. Its policy is based on "strategic autonomy." This is why India has been successful in maintaining good relations with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Israel—all at the same time. This capability is considered rare in global diplomacy today.

The India-UAE defense cooperation will not be limited to weapons or military exercises. It could include areas such as maritime security, cybersecurity, counter-terrorism cooperation, and defense production. The increasing instability in the Indian Ocean, and the security of the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz—India and the UAE have converging interests on all these issues. For India, this partnership strengthens its strategic reach in West Asia, while for the UAE, it provides a reliable and balanced security option. From Pakistan's perspective, this development could be a cause for concern. Until now, it had maintained its influence in the Gulf countries based on its traditional defense and religious ties. However, India's growing acceptance indicates that the Gulf countries are now making decisions not solely on religious or ideological grounds, but on the basis of practical and long-term strategic interests.

Ultimately, the UAE President's brief but highly significant visit to Delhi signals that India is no longer just a regional power, but a crucial center of the global strategic balance. Against the backdrop of the Saudi-Pakistan defense agreement, the India-UAE partnership emerges as a "counterbalance." This could not only reshape the politics of West Asia but also further strengthen India's global role in the coming years.

This is why this visit, though lasting only a few hours, will be remembered for years to come.