Days After Desert Cyclone-II, Army Chief Heads To UAE To Further Deepen Defence Ties; To Get Guard Of Honour
On arrival, General Dwivedi will be accorded a Guard of Honour by the UAE Land Forces. Image courtesy: X.com/@adgpi
Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi on Sunday (January 4, 2026) left for his four-day overseas tour to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Sri Lanka, with the first leg focused on further strengthening India–UAE defence cooperation. The visit comes just days after the successful conclusion of the India–UAE joint military exercise Desert Cyclone-II.
Army chief General Dwivedi first visit of 2026 comes at a crucial time as it highlights India and the UAE’s intent to convert joint training outcomes into sustained institutional cooperation and long-term strategic engagement. On arrival, he will also be accorded a Guard of Honour by the UAE Land Forces.
Army chief UAE visit: What’s on the agenda?
COAS General Dwivedi will be in the Gulf nation for two days on January 5–6, during which he is scheduled to hold wide-ranging discussions with senior UAE military leadership on enhancing bilateral defence cooperation, professional military exchanges and strategic coordination.
He will also visit key military establishments, including the UAE National Defence College, and interact with officers and troops, providing an opportunity to deepen operational understanding between the two armed forces. According to the Indian Army, the engagements aim to strengthen mutual trust and expand cooperation in areas of shared strategic interest.
“He will also visit key military establishments and interact with officers and troops, underscoring the growing defence partnership between India and the UAE. These engagements are aimed at further enhancing bilateral defence cooperation, professional military exchanges, and strategic understanding between the two armed forces,” an official statement said.
India-UAE defence ties: How Desert Cyclone-II fit into the picture?
Exercise Desert Cyclone-II, which concluded on December 30, 2025, involved intensive joint training between the Indian Army and the UAE Land Forces, focusing on interoperability, tactical coordination and counter-terror operations in desert environments.
The joint exercise has become a key pillar of India–UAE military engagement, reflecting the growing convergence of security interests amid evolving regional challenges in West Asia and the wider Indian Ocean region.
India–UAE defence ties gaining momentum
India and the UAE have steadily expanded their defence partnership in recent years, with regular joint exercises, high-level military visits and increasing cooperation in training, capacity building and defence exchanges.
Worth mentioning here is that Gen Dwivedi’s UAE visit also comes weeks after the Gulf nation’s Commander of the Presidential Guard, Major General Ali Saif Humaid Alkaabi, visited India. The visit also signals New Delhi’s intent to elevate military-to-military cooperation as a core pillar of the broader India–UAE strategic partnership.
What’s next after the UAE leg?
After completing his engagements in the UAE, Gen Dwivedi will travel to Sri Lanka for a two-day visit from January 7 to 8. In Colombo, he is expected to meet senior political and military leaders, including the defence secretary and the commander of the Sri Lanka Army.
Discussions in Sri Lanka will focus on training cooperation, capacity building and regional security, reflecting India’s continued emphasis on defence diplomacy in its immediate and extended neighbourhood.
