8 UAE-India pacts: Friendship hospital, IIM campus in Dubai; maritime cooperation in Kerala

Mumbai: Establishing a campus of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A) and the UAE-India Friendship Hospital in Dubai, along with boosting maritime collaboration through a ship repair cluster in Kerala, are among the eight strategic agreements signed to deepen the UAE-India relationship.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Piyush Goyal, India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, witnessed the signing during a special event organised by Dubai Chambers in Mumbai.

The signing ceremony, held as part of Sheikh Hamdan’s official visit to India, covers diverse sectors including infrastructure, healthcare, higher education, maritime services, logistics, and private sector engagement.

During the ceremony, Sheikh Hamdan noted that the two nations continue to build on a strong foundation of trust and collaboration, guided by the vision of their leadership.

“Together, we are advancing a model of international cooperation that delivers real impact and long-term benefits for the people of our two countries.”

Partnership for educational excellence

Marking a significant milestone in academic cooperation, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) signed an MoU with IIM-A, one of Asia’s leading and India’s top-ranked business schools, to establish a world-class campus in Dubai. The agreement supports the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 by developing business leadership talent and contributing to a globally competitive innovation ecosystem in the emirate.

The IIMA Dubai campus is envisioned as a global centre of excellence for higher education, skill development, and innovation, serving the broader Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia regions. It will be developed in two phases. In the first phase, IIMA will be allocated space within Dubai International Academic City (DIAC). It plans to launch its one-year full-time MBA programme later this year. In the next phase, IIMA will be allotted land to establish a permanent campus, expected to be operational by 2029.

Future-ready supply chains

DP World signed an MoU with RITES, a leading infrastructure consultancy and engineering firm under India’s Ministry of Railways. The agreement aims to harness the expertise of both organisations to develop resilient, tech-enabled supply chains and strengthen logistics and maritime capabilities.

It further leverages the UAE-India Virtual Trade Corridor (VTC) — a digital platform launched in September 2024 in collaboration with RITES — to streamline customs, logistics, and regulatory processes between the two countries.

The partnership opens doors to collaboration on projects such as multimodal logistics parks, free trade zones, port connectivity, and rail freight solutions, supporting both countries’ shared goal of building diversified trade routes resilient to global disruptions.

Drydocks World, a DP World company, signed an MoU with Kerala’s Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), a leading shipbuilding and maintenance facility under India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. The agreement establishes a framework for developing ship repair clusters in Kochi and Vadinar, along with offshore fabrication and collaborative marine engineering solutions. This partnership aims to modernise India’s maritime infrastructure, expand the ship repair industry, and create new employment opportunities.

Strengthening business ties

Dubai Chambers signed three MoUs with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), and the IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Under the agreements, Dubai Chambers will support Indian businesses in establishing or expanding their presence in Dubai, providing strategic services to accelerate the investment process. In return, the three Indian entities will offer similar support to Dubai-based companies exploring business opportunities in India, including business matchmaking and networking.

The MoUs also include joint participation in trade fairs, investment missions, conferences, and exhibitions in both countries, as well as regular exchange of data on bilateral trade and business trends to identify opportunities and strengthen private sector cooperation.

Advancing inclusive healthcare

Dubai Health signed an MoU to establish the UAE-India Friendship Hospital (UIFH), a new not-for-profit initiative aimed at providing inclusive and accessible healthcare, in Dubai. The hospital is a joint philanthropic initiative endorsed at the leadership level by the governments of Dubai and India that aims to deliver high-quality, affordable healthcare services.

Goyal lauded the initiative to establish a hospital for Indian workers in Dubai.

“This is a heartwarming initiative, and we thank you on behalf of all Indians,” the minister said.

Also, the Dubai Medical University (DMU) and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) inked an agreement to strengthen academic and research collaboration by promoting direct cooperation between faculty, administrative staff, departments, and research centres of both institutions.

Key areas of collaboration include student and staff exchange programmes, joint research on infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, and climate change; development of global health initiatives, exchange of academic materials and publications, cooperation on AI research, development, and digital transformation in medical education and healthcare.