India appoints Deepak Mittal as new Ambassador to UAE
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The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has appointed Deepak Mittal as the next Ambassador of India to the United Arab Emirates.
Mittal, a 1998-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, previously served as India’s Ambassador to Qatar. In 2021, he played a significant role in facilitating the first formal diplomatic engagement between India and the Taliban after the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan. At the time, he met Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, head of the Taliban’s Political Office in Doha.
He will replace Sunjay Sudhir, who has been serving as India’s Ambassador to the UAE since 2021.
India and the UAE established diplomatic relations in 1972. Ties between the two countries was strengthened after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Emirates in 2015, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in over three decades.
Since then, Modi has visited the UAE five more times, including his recent trip in late 2023 to attend the COP28 World Climate Action Summit in Dubai.
From the UAE, President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has also paid multiple visits to India. In 2016 and 2017, he visited as Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. In September 2023, he attended the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi as President of the UAE. In November 2023, he participated in the 2nd Virtual Global South Summit. In January 2024, he traveled to Gujarat as Chief Guest at the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit.
High-level exchanges have been complemented by frequent ministerial visits. External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and other Indian ministers have regularly engaged with their UAE counterparts. Likewise, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed has undertaken several visits to India.
A strong people-to-people connection continues to anchor the relationship. The UAE hosts India’s largest overseas community, with an estimated 4.3 million Indians, a majority of whom reside in Dubai. Their contributions to the Emirates’ development are widely recognized and celebrated.
