Abu Dhabi Crown Prince meets PM Narendra Modi in Delhi; will visit Mumbai tomorrow for business forum

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Hyderabad House, in New Delhi, on Monday. Pic/PTI

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is on his maiden official visit to India, met Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in Delhi on Monday.

PM Narendra Modi welcomed Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan with a warm hug and the two leaders shook hands and interacted with each other before proceeding to hold a meeting, reported news agency ANI.

Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in New Delhi on September 8 on the invitation of PM Narendra Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs informed. He was received by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and accorded a ceremonial welcome after landing in the national capital.

"A new milestone in a historic relationship. His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Delhi on his first official visit to India. Warmly received by @CimGOI @piyushgoyal and accorded a ceremonial welcome," MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.

HIs official visit began on Monday, with a meeting with PM Narendra Modi. He is also scheduled to call on President Droupadi Murmu and visit Rajghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi during the Delhi leg of his visit.

On Tuesday, the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince will visit Mumbai to participate in a business forum. The event will witness the participation of business leaders from both the countries.

"India and UAE share historically close and friendly ties. In recent years, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and UAE has deepened in a wide range of areas, including political, trade, investment, connectivity, energy, technology, education, and culture," the Ministry of External Affairs stated in a press release.

"The Crown Prince's visit will further reinforce strong UAE bilateral relations and open avenues for partnership in new and emerging areas," it added.

PM Narendra Modi had visited UAE in February

In February, during his India-United Arab Emirates (UAE) visit, PM Narendra Modi held discussions with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the bilateral relationship between the countries and witnessed the exchange of eight agreements.

PM Narendra Modi and UAE President Al Nahyan welcomed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the creation of an intergovernmental framework between the two countries on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC), which reflected the lead taken by the UAE and India in furthering regional connectivity.

The two leaders further endorsed the efforts from both sides to strengthen the strong economic and commercial cooperation and explore new areas of collaboration. They welcomed the strong growth witnessed in the UAE-India trade relations since the entry into force of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

During his visit, PM Narendra Modi also inaugurated the BAPS Mandir, which is the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, as well as addressed the Indian diaspora at an event titled 'Ahlan Modi' in the UAE capital.

(With ANI inputs)