Prime Minister Narendra Modi will land in United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital Abu Dhabi on Sunday as part of his two-day visit to the Middle-East nation, where he will have talks with the leaders and will address the Indian diaspora in the country.
On day one, the PM will first hold official talks with Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi. The visit, which is the first by an Indian Prime Minister in over three decades, will see Modi wooing the country's businessmen to invest in India besides seeking to improves cooperation in energy and trade.
"India is the UAE's second largest trading partner and the UAE is India's third largest trade partner," he said on Thursday. "India and the UAE are fantastically connected, be it via air or through the sea."
Modi is also expected to reach out to migrant labourers in ICAD Residential Labour Camp, which houses mainly Indian nationals from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Bihar.
"I am certain my visit will boost people-to-people ties between our nations. I specially look forward to meeting the large community of Indian workers based in the UAE," he added.
He will also travel to Masdar City, a zero-carbon city project in Abu Dhabi, where he is expected to spend time watching presentations, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
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On the second day, Modi will visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, after which he will travel to Dubai to meet UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The PM will also reach out to the non-resident Indians (NRIs) at the Dubai Cricket Stadium on Monday. The 2.5 million strong Indian diaspora forms 30% of UAE's population and contributes to 20% of India's remittances.
Modi's visit is widely being seen as an opportunity to boost India-UAE ties in key areas of trade, energy and security. The hashtag #ModiInUAE has been trending on Twitter from Sunday morning.
