New Delhi [India], Septmeber 2 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs has appointed Deepak Mittal as the next Ambassador of India to the United Arab Emirates.

The IFS officer from the 1998 batch has previously served as India's Ambassador to Qatar. He played a key role in establishing the first formal diplomatic contact between India and the Taliban after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. Deepak Mittal met Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, then head of the Taliban's Political Office in Doha, in 2021.

Deepak Mittal will replace Sunjay Sudhir, who has been serving as India's Ambassador to the UAE since 2021.

India diplomatic relations with UAE were established in 1972. Over the years, they have grown significantly and gained new momentum after PM Modi's visit in 2015, the first by an Indian PM in over three decades.

PM Modi visited UAE in 2015, which marked the beginning of a new Comprehensive and Strategic partnership between the two countries. This was followed by five other visits of PM in the last 8 years, most recently in Nov-Dec 2023 to attend COP28-World Climate Action Summit in Dubai, according to MEA.

From the UAE, there have been multiple visits by the President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed (MBZ). In 2016 and 2017, he visited as Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. In Sep 2023, he visited India as the President of the UAE to attend the G20 Leaders' Summit. In Nov 2023, President MBZ participated in the 2nd Virtual Global South Summit. In Jan 2024, he visited Gujarat to attend the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit as the Chief Guest.

To complement these high level visits, there have been regular ministerial visits form India to the UAE, including the visit of EAM Dr S Jaishankar to UAE and other Ministers. Likewise, there have been multiple visits from the UAE to India including the visit of UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed.

The strong people-to-people ties are underpinned by the large Indian diaspora in the Emirates - estimated at 4.3 million - with a significant majority residing in Dubai. The UAE hosts India's largest overseas community, whose contributions are deeply respected and continue to strengthen the enduring bond between the two nations. (ANI)