PM Modi and UAE President Al Nahyan Strengthen Ties: India-UAE Sign Key MoUs

As Narendra Modi reaches UAE, for the inauguration ceremony of BAPS temple, the UAE president and the Indian prime minister held bilateral talks over the exchange of various memoranda of understanding (MoUs). 

In the meeting with the UAE President, it was expressed by PM Modi, ‘Brother, firstly, my heartfelt gratitude is extended to you for your warm welcome. Five meetings have been held between us in the last seven months, a rarity. Additionally, I have been allowed to visit here seven times… the progress achieved in every field reflects a joint partnership between India and UAE.

Present at the meeting were key members of the Indian delegation, including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra.

Earlier, upon landing at the airport, PM Modi received a warm welcome from UAE President Al Nahyan. The two leaders exchanged handshakes and embraced each other.

“Immensely grateful to my brother, HH @MohamedBinZayed, for taking the time to receive me at Abu Dhabi airport. I look forward to a productive visit which will further strengthen the friendship between India and UAE,” said PM Modi in a post on X.

PM Modi also received a guard of honour.

Before leaving, the prime minister utilized social media platform X to express his anticipation for the upcoming meeting with his “brother,” the President of UAE, with whom he enjoys a strong rapport.

Prime Minister Modi posted on X, “Eager to meet my brother, @MohamedBinZayed. Over the next two days, I will be visiting UAE and Qatar to attend various programmes, which will deepen India’s bilateral relations with these nations.”

Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, utilized platform X to underscore that PM Modi’s initial phase of the visit to the UAE will involve interactions with UAE leadership and community members, along with the inauguration of the BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi. This visit also signifies the third time the PM has visited the Gulf country in the past eight months, as stated by the Ministry of External Affairs Minister.

“Wheels up! PM @narendramodiembarks on a two-country visit to the UAE & Qatar. The first leg of the visit in the UAE entails engagements with UAE leadership & community members, inauguration of @AbuDhabiMandir, and participation as the Guest of Honour at @WorldGovSummit in Dubai,” he stated.

According to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs Minister, PM Modi’s visit to the Gulf country marks his third trip in the past eight months. In addition to his meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, PM Modi will also participate in the World Government Summit 2024, delivering a special keynote address.

“My discussions with Prime Minister His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid on the margins of Summit will focus on strengthening our multifaceted ties with Dubai,” the Prime Minister said in a statement ahead of his departure.

He will also inaugurate the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. “The BAPS temple will be an enduring tribute to the values of harmony, peace and tolerance, which both India and the UAE share,” the PM said.

The Prime Minister will address the Indian diaspora in Abu Dhabi at the Zayed Sports City Stadium later on Tuesday.

The ‘Ahlan Modi’ or ‘Hello Modi’ event, organized by the Indian community in Abu Dhabi, has gathered unprecedented attention, with over 65,000 registrations received, reflecting the overwhelming response from the Indian expatriate community.

PM Modi will be in the UAE from February 13-14 after which he will proceed to Doha.