Name? Narendra Modi
Westphalian identity? Indian
Age? 71
Why is he in the news? On his way back from the G7 summit in Germany, Indian Prime Minister Modi made a stop in Abu Dhabi to congratulate UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ) and offer condolences on the death of his predecessor, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In reality, Modi’s visit likely had more to do with the derogatory comments about the prophet Mohammed that came from within his own party…
Why do we care? Because India cares! India and the UAE are each within the other’s top three trading partners, with India-UAE trade valued at $59 billion. The two signed India’s first free trade agreement in a decade this year. Modi does well in trying to keep Indian goods on Emirati shelves.
Why should you care? The fact that words spoken by a party spokesperson led Modi to conduct in-person diplomatic damage control in the UAE should emphasise the importance of the India-UAE trade relationship. But if Modi’s efforts aren’t enough, consider that MBZ broke protocol to meet Modi in the Abu Dhabi airport. If Modi and MBZ care that much, you should care 2/10 about the India-UAE relationship.
Who else cares? Chinese President Xi Jinping. As Beijing has cultivated bilateral partnerships with various Gulf countries, a strong partnership between Modi and MBZ could pose a problem for Chinese presence in the region. While it is unlikely that Modi will be able to compete with Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Indian Prime Minister can compete in other areas such as trade and security—competition Xi would rather face without the Emiratis.
Any further comments? Increasing incidents of Islamophobia and communalism under Modi’s Hindu nationalist government have become a growing concern for the Muslim world in the last couple years. There may come a time when Modi’s personal condolences and damage control won’t be enough to maintain relationships with Muslim-majority countries.
