PM Modi arrives in Abu Dhabi; says looking forward to talks with UAE President to bolster bilateral ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Saturday on a day-long visit and said he was looking forward to his talks with President of the UAE Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to further deepen the multifaceted bilateral ties.

In a special gesture, Prime Minister Modi was warmly welcomed by Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the airport. A ceremonial welcome and Guard of Honour were accorded to Modi as he arrived on his fifth visit to the UAE. “Landed in Abu Dhabi. I look forward to the deliberations with HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, which will further deepen India-UAE cooperation,” he tweeted. “Grateful to Crown Prince HH Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for welcoming me at the airport today,” he said.

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Modi arrived in Abu Dhabi following his successful two-day visit to Paris where he joined French President Emmanuel Macron for the Bastille Day parade as the Guest of Honour and signed several agreements to strengthen bilateral ties. Modi was honoured with the ‘Order of Zayed’, the UAE’s highest civilian award, in 2019 as a mark of appreciation for his efforts to boost bilateral ties between the two nations. Prime Minister Modi will hold talks with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi during his fifth visit to the Gulf country since 2015. His previous visits to the country were in 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2022.

“I look forward to meeting my friend, H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,” Prime Minister Modi said in his departure statement on Thursday. “Our two countries are engaged across a wide range of sectors such as trade, investments, energy, food security, science and technology, education, fintech, defence, security, and robust people-to-people ties,” he said. Energy, food security, and defence are expected to be the focus areas of Modi’s visit to the UAE during which the two countries will review the progress in bilateral relations after they inked a landmark trade agreement.

The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which gave a new thrust to the economic engagement between the two countries, was signed during the Covid-19 pandemic. India and the UAE are engaged across various sectors such as trade, investments, energy, food security, science and technology, education, fintech, defence, security, and robust people-to-people ties. India is UAE’s second-largest trading partner with a bilateral trade of over USD 84 billion. The UAE is India’s third-largest trading partner and second-largest export destination. The UAE was the fourth largest source of FDI for India in 2022-23.

The UAE has been a key partner for India’s energy security. The country is India’s third-largest source of crude oil and second-largest source of LNG and LPG. The Indian expatriate community is the largest ethnic community in UAE constituting roughly 30 per cent of the country’s population. The number of resident Indian Nationals was estimated to be 3.5 million in 2021 as per the UAE records. Yoga and Indian cinema are immensely popular in the UAE.