Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to the UAE starting Tuesday, during which he will meet UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and inaugurate the Middle East’s first traditional Hindu stone temple in Abu Dhabi.
It will be his third visit to the country in the last eight months and his seventh since 2015, which was the first visit by an Indian prime minister in 34 years. During this visit, Modi has a packed schedule of meetings and events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
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Modi will hold bilateral meetings with the UAE President, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. They will discuss ways to deepen, expand, and strengthen the strategic partnership between the countries and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. Modi will also meet Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
On Tuesday evening, Modi will address more than 60,000 Indian expatriate community members during the ‘Ahlan Modi’ event at Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The event organisers said the registrations were closed because of an “overwhelming response” from the Indian community.
On Wednesday, the Indian PM will first participate in the World Government Summit 2024 in Dubai. He will deliver a keynote address at the summit where India, Turkey, and Qatar are the ‘guests of honour’ countries.
Modi will inaugurate the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Mureikha on Wednesday evening. The historic event is poised to highlight the close ties and mutual respect between the two nations and their commitment to promoting cultural and religious diversity.
The two countries enjoy a close relationship courtesy of a deep bond between the top leaders. Since the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) came into force on May 1, 2022, bilateral trade reached $85 billion last year. The UAE is among the top 4 investors in India in terms of foreign direct investments in 2022-23, the Indian MEA underlined.