UAE President's 3-Hour India Visit: A 'Strategic Firewall' Amid West Asia Tensions

• UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's brief three-hour visit to India for talks with PM Modi signals a major shift in Middle Eastern diplomacy.
• Experts view the visit as an "alarm bell" amidst West Asia volatility, with UAE seeing India as a "strategic firewall" for stability.
• Key reasons for the visit include India's unique ability to maintain strong ties with both the US and Iran, offering a diplomatic advantage.
• The UAE seeks India's security cooperation due to a strategic shift away from the Saudi-Pakistan axis and concerns over regional friction points like Somaliland and Yemen.
• The leaders signed a letter of intent for a comprehensive strategic defence partnership and discussed civil nuclear energy, highlighting a move towards high-tech and security collaboration.

Why It Matters: UAE views India as a crucial "strategic firewall" and reliable partner amidst escalating West Asia tensions.