Overview

India and the United Arab Emirates signed major energy agreements on 15 May 2026 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Abu Dhabi. The agreements focus on strategic petroleum reserves and increased liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supplies to India. The partnership aims to strengthen India’s energy security and ensure stable fuel supply during global market disruptions.

India and UAE Sign New Energy Agreements

The agreements were signed after bilateral talks between:

• Narendra Modi
• Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

The discussions took place in Abu Dhabi.

The new partnership includes:

• Cooperation in strategic petroleum reserves
• Increased LPG supplies to India

UAE Is a Major Energy Partner for India

The United Arab Emirates plays an important role in India’s energy imports.

LPG Supply to India

The UAE supplies around:

• 40% of India’s LPG requirement

LPG is widely used for:

• Cooking
• Heating
• Industrial purposes

Crude Oil Supply

The UAE was India’s fourth-largest crude oil supplier in the previous year.

It contributed nearly:

• 11% of India’s crude oil imports

Earlier Cooperation on Strategic Petroleum Reserves

India and the UAE had already partnered in 2018 on crude oil storage.

Mangaluru Storage Facility

Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company agreed to store more than:

• 5 million barrels of crude oil

The storage facility is located in:

• Mangaluru

This cooperation helped strengthen India’s emergency oil reserves.

What Are Strategic Petroleum Reserves?

Strategic petroleum reserves are emergency stockpiles of crude oil maintained by countries.

These reserves are used during:

• International supply disruptions
• War or conflict situations
• Sudden oil price shocks
• Maritime transport risks

They are an important part of national energy security.

India’s Strategic Petroleum