Years before Captain Smit Machchar received the honour, Order of Zayed II, the UAE’s second-highest civilian honour, former Indian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Navdeep Singh Suri became the first Indian to receive it on September 11, 2019. The recognition, conferred just weeks before his tenure ended, brought an unexpected diplomatic dilemma because Indian government rules restrict ambassadors from accepting awards from foreign governments. In his recently launched book, Bridging the Gulf: The Remaking of India-UAE Relations, Suri recounts how he accepted the honour from then UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan before immediately informing New Delhi.Recalling the occasion in his book, Suri said he had visited Sheikh Abdullah for a customary farewell call before completing his tenure in Abu Dhabi and retiring from the Indian Foreign Service.The minister took him into a room, announced a surprise and presented him with the honour, along with a sash and medal. Suri described the gesture as extraordinary, noting that such distinctions were rarely bestowed upon ambassadors.Accepting the award, however, presented an immediate challenge. Refusing it in the presence of the UAE Foreign Minister could have appeared discourteous, while accepting it raised questions about Indian government rules.Suri said he promptly sent a cable to New Delhi explaining the circumstances. He also clarified that the award carried no monetary value and offered to hand it over for safekeeping if the Ministry had any concerns.The situation created a dilemma: whether to reprimand him for accepting a foreign honour or congratulate him for his diplomatic work. Suri ultimately became the first Indian recipient, followed by diplomat Jattvibejay Sudhir, who served in the UAE from 2021 to 2025.Bridging the Gulf combines historical context with personal experiences to examine the transformation of India-UAE relations and the complexities of diplomacy