New Delhi, March 21 (ANI): Abdulnasser Alshaali, the UAE Ambassador to India, wrote an open Eid letter to the UAE-India CEPA Council reaffirming the UAE’s resilience and the strength of the UAE-India partnership, and offering reassurance to Indians living in the Emirates.
Alshaali said that despite recent attacks launched by Iran, commercial activity and essential services in the UAE have continued to operate normally. He noted that Iran had launched over 2,000 missiles and drones against the UAE, with the vast majority intercepted by the country’s defence systems. “If the past three weeks have shown the world anything, it is this: the UAE has met this moment with extraordinary preparedness, technological sophistication, and operational readiness,” he wrote. He added that energy, water, healthcare, telecommunications, and food supplies have continued without interruption; hotels, shopping centres, and tourist attractions remain open; the banking sector is sound with total assets exceeding AED 5.42 trillion; strategic food reserves cover four to six months of demand; and commercial activity has not missed a beat.
The ambassador attributed this continuity to a national security framework built for such moments, saying that because it has held, more than four million Indians and millions of other residents from over 200 nationalities have been able to continue daily life with confidence.
Highlighting the UAE’s economic resilience, Alshaali emphasized the deep, long-standing ties between Emiratis and Indians. He noted that the relationship predates modern diplomacy and has been built on centuries of trade, labour, and trust across generations. For Indian businesses with operations, investments, and partnerships in the UAE, his message was clear: the country remains open, stable, and fully operational, with intact supply chains and functioning ports and airports.
Alshaali stressed that Indians in the UAE are not a distant diaspora but neighbours, colleagues, partners, and friends who have made the country their home—raising families, building businesses from longstanding trading houses to startups, and contributing to the nation’s development. “They have served this country, and they have helped shape it,” he wrote.
He also pointed out that the Government of India has remained actively engaged throughout the crisis via its embassy, consular channels, and at the highest political levels. “India is not a bystander in this moment. India is a partner. And I want to assure each of you directly: your safety, your interests, and your future in this country remain matters of the highest priority for both governments,” Alshaali said.
On the economic front, he noted that bilateral trade exceeded USD 100 billion last year and that the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) continues to create opportunities across sectors including advanced technology, renewable energy, healthcare, logistics, and financial services. He said the economic architecture built by both nations is designed to endure and that commitments deepen rather than pause in times of difficulty.
“It is upon this foundation that the UAE will build what comes next. Resilient, determined, and open for business,” Alshaali wrote, adding that the confidence Indian entrepreneurs and professionals have placed in the UAE “has never been misplaced, and it will not be now.”
Earlier, on March 18, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a phone call with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, reiterated India’s strong condemnation of all attacks on the UAE. The two leaders agreed on the importance of ensuring the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
