In December’s Arab Strategy Forum 2006 in Dubai, there was much discussion around the improving ties between the UAE and the Asian giants. While this may not be a new phenomenon, two-way ties have recently flourished between China and India, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. In a context where both India and China are seeking energy security, the GCC is playing an instrumental role in supplying both countries with crude oil and LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas). China and India also offer significant investment opportunities for UAE-based companies. Similarly, a great number of Chinese and Indian firms have taken root in Dubai. China and India have become the UAE’s main trading partners, with China recently overtaking India for the top position. At the recent India-Arab World CEO summit, Kamal Nath, India’s minister for commerce and industry, announced that India and the GCC were in the process of establishing a
