Dubai, UAE – India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Abu Dhabi today for the final leg of his two-nation visit. The visit aims to strengthen the burgeoning bilateral ties between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), two strategic partners.
Indian PM is scheduled to meet with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and conduct a comprehensive review of the progress in bilateral relations.
The visit comes after his two-day visit to Paris, where Modi participated in the Bastille Day parade as the Guest of Honour alongside French President Emmanuel Macron. The two leaders also signed multiple agreements to bolster bilateral ties between India and France.
Highlighting the significance of the visit, PM Modi stated in his departure statement, “I look forward to meeting my friend, H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.”
He further emphasized the wide-ranging sectors in which the two countries are engaged, including trade, investments, energy, food security, science and technology, education, fintech, defence, security, and people-to-people ties.
Energy, food security, and defence are expected to be the key focus areas of PM Modi’s visit to the UAE. The visit aims to assess the progress made in bilateral relations following the signing of the landmark Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This agreement has provided a renewed impetus to economic engagement between India and the UAE.
The two countries have been actively involved in various sectors, including trade, investments, energy, food security, science and technology, education, fintech, defence, security, and robust people-to-people ties. The Indian expatriate community in the UAE constitutes approximately 30 percent of the country’s population, making it the largest ethnic community. As per UAE records in 2021, the estimated number of resident Indian Nationals stands at 3.5 million. (With inputs from PTI)