The 13 August 2020 U.S.-brokered relationship normalisation deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates U.A.E. underlined how important the Emirate was to Washington at that point, both as a key Middle Eastern ally, and by extension as critical link in its plans to use India as a counterbalance to China’s dominance in the Asia-Pacific region. Following the U.S.
and India moving up a gear was the likelihood of ADNOC being top of the list of foreign companies that would be considered for the purchase of a substantial stake in the high-profile privatisation of major Indian refiner, Bharat Petroleum. At that time, Russian state corporate proxy, Rosneft, expressed an interest in buying the Indian government’s 53.