Former Indian Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri has revisited this little-known chapter of history in his new book, which explores the centuries-old relationship between India and the Gulf.
The Indian rupee was once used across parts of the Gulf, long before the region adopted its present-day currencies.
(Also read: Dubai real estate company surprises top-performing employee of 2026 with Lamborghini Urus ) According to a Gulf News report published on October 29, the book, titled Bridging the Gulf: The Remaking of India-UAE Relations, was launched on October 25. Suri, who served as India’s Ambassador to the UAE from 2016 to 2019, initially planned to focus on developments between 2015 and 2025. He subsequently spent two years working on the book. (Also read: Dubai announces world’s first 24-carat gold walkway, set to open in 2026 ) Beyond trade and currency, the book examines several significant developments in India-UAE relations. Suri was the first Indian to receive the UAE’s First Class Order of Zayed II on September 11, 2019, in recognition of his contribution to strengthening bilateral relations.
It draws on Suri’s diplomatic experience, archival research and interviews with people involved in shaping bilateral relations. A chapter titled Gold Fever explores the gold trade between Dubai and India during the 1950s and 1960s. The book also traces the historical connections between India and the Gulf during British rule, when Bombay, now Mumbai, served as an important administrative and trading hub for several Gulf territories. The pearl trade brought Indian and Arab merchants closer, with some Gulf trading families establishing homes and offices in Bombay. However, conversations with senior UAE leaders encouraged him to explore the relationship’s deeper historical roots. These include former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s participation in an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meeting and the diplomatic efforts behind the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi. It also explores challenges surrounding Emirati investment in India and growing cooperation in defence, security, energy and technology.
“People would ask me why I had not written about the transformational period during which I served as India’s Ambassador to the UAE because there was not a single serious book on the subject,” he told Gulf News in an exclusive phone interview. It also examines the economic circumstances surrounding the transition from the Indian rupee to the Gulf rupee and eventually to the currencies used in Gulf countries today.
