New Delhi, Apr 8 (UNI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today welcomed the Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of UAE Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum who is on his first official visit to India.
In a post, the EAM said:
“Delighted to welcome Crown Prince of Dubai and DPM & Minister of Defence of UAE HH
@HamdanMohammed at the start of his first official visit to India.
“Value his positive sentiments for our wide-ranging cooperation and vibrant ties.”
The MEA spokesperson said in a post that the Crown Prince was welcomed with a ceremonial Guard of honour and received by Minister of State for Tourism & Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi.
“Dubai to Delhi! A significant milestone in India-UAE relations.
“HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown prince of Dubai @HamdanMohammed arrived in New Delhi on his first official visit.
“Welcomed with a ceremonial Guard of honour & received by MoS @TheSureshGopi at the airport.”
This is Sheikh Hamdan’s first official visit of to India as the Crown Prince of Dubai. He is accompanied by several Ministers, senior government officials and a high-level business delegation.
The visit is on the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Prime Minister Modi will host a working lunch for the Crown Prince today, and the latter will also hold meetings with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
The visit also comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Colombo and his talks with the Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, during which the two sides along with the UAE signed a trilateral MoU for turning Trincomalee into an energy hub.
The Dubai Crown Prince will proceed to Mumbai. During the visit, he will also participate in a business roundtable with prominent business leaders from both sides.
The interaction is aimed to strengthen India–UAE economic and commercial cooperation across traditional and futuristic areas.
Traditionally, Dubai has played an important role in India’s commercial, cultural and people-to-people exchanges with the UAE.
Majority of India’s around 4.3 million diaspora in UAE reside and work in Dubai. The visit of the Crown Prince will further solidify the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and strengthen the multifaceted ties with Dubai, the statement added.
According to a UAE statement, the visit underscores the UAE leadership’s strategy of building strategic alliances with key international partners to foster growth, drive innovation and enhance collaboration across vital sectors.
“Sheikh Hamdan is accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group; Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs; Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation; Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports; Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy; Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade; and Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications.
The delegation also includes a number of senior officials and leaders representing different economic sectors.
UNI RN