Dubai: The centuries-old India-UAE trade relationship has taken flight and diversified into an unbelievable expanse of opportunities, creating solutions that are inclusive and have the global good in mind, the Indian envoy here has said.

The Indian Ambassador to the UAE, Sunjay Sudhir’s comments came ahead of India Global Forum’s annual event in Dubai on November 27. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will deliver a keynote speech at the event’s inauguration.

Under the theme ‘Unleashing Ambitions,’ the 3rd edition of the event will have an expanded purview beyond the India-UAE partnership, encompassing a broader geographical perspective with the IGF Middle East and Africa 2023 (IGF ME&A) Programme.

Looking forward to the forum, Sudhir said, “In today’s world, the India–UAE strategic partnership stands tall. The centuries-old trade relationship has taken flight and diversified into an unbelievable expanse of opportunities.” “It is based on the principle of mutual growth and development, taking pride in each other’s successes, and creating solutions that are inclusive and have the global good in mind,” he said.

The IGF ME&A convenes business leaders, policymakers, and thought leaders from India, UAE and Africa to discuss opportunities for further collaboration and growth between these regions through a series of exclusive networking opportunities, panel discussions, and keynote speeches. These cover a range of topics, including trade, investment, innovation, technology, climate change and sustainability.

Sitharaman will deliver her address to the assembly virtually, followed by an interactive question-and-answer session.

Manoj Ladwa, Founder and Chairman of the IGF, said, “This year’s theme, ‘Unleashing Ambitions,’ sets the tone for discussions that transcend geographical boundaries and fosters an environment where India, Middle East and Africa can converge their strengths and leverage each other’s expertise and resources to pioneer a new era of collaboration.” “IGF ME&A will be the catalyst for this collaboration and showcase the limitless opportunities presented by the Global South,” he said.

The event comes against the backdrop of the UAE-India partnership scaling newer heights.

Bilateral trade between India and the UAE has seen significant growth, registering a year-on-year increase of 16 per cent to reach USD 85 billion in the April 2022-March 2023 period and a target of achieving USD 100 billion in non-oil trade by 2030.

The bilateral relationship is acquiring newer dimensions, with the two countries joining hands to support investments and development projects in Africa.

The event will feature over 150 speakers and more than 1,000 participants.

Key speakers include Minister of Environment, Bhupender Yadav, Minister of State Electronics & IT, Dr Rajeev Chandrasekhar, UAE’s Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Patricia Scotland, Gujarat Minister of State Home, Industries, Harsh Sanghavi, and Nikhil Kamath, Co-Founder of Zerodha.

Other speakers include Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder & CEO of Paytm, and Gaur Gopal Das, an Indian monk and author. The Group CEO of Airtel Money, Ian Ferrao, and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation CEO, Kate Hampton, will also speak at the event.