Ambassador Alshaali harassed the pivotal function performed by the Indian group in UAE.

Dubai:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi right this moment launched into a two-day go to to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with a give attention to boosting cooperation in varied sectors, together with power, ports, fintech, digital infrastructure, railways, and funding flows. 

The go to goals to solidify the strong ties between the 2 nations, as discussions on a number of agreements are anticipated to happen following talks between PM Modi and the President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

In an unique interview with NDTV forward of the go to, Abdulnasser Jamal Alshaali, the UAE’s ambassador to India, supplied insights into the expectations and the broader context of the connection between India and the UAE.

“We are expecting a successful visit for sure. The World Government Summit 2024, the engagements at the stadium, bilateral talks, the inauguration of the BAPS temple; we are excited,” Ambassador Alshaali mentioned. 

One notable side of the dialogue revolved across the scheduled inauguration of the BAPS temple in Abu Dhabi, with the land for the temple supplied by the UAE authorities. Ambassador Alshaali underscored the cultural connection and the message of tolerance and acceptance that the temple conveys. 

“It is a message of tolerance and acceptance. We do not discriminate in terms of religion, ethnicity, etc. This is also a testament to what the relationship between India-UAE is all about. It is not just a business-to-business or government-to-government relationship, but a people-to-people connection,” he mentioned. 

Addressing the camaraderie noticed between UAE President and PM Modi, as witnessed within the Vibrant Gujarat summit just lately, the ambassador said, “There is no limit to what we can do together.”

On the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed in 2022, Ambassador Alshaali acknowledged preliminary skepticism because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he highlighted the outstanding velocity at which the settlement was negotiated and signed, underscoring the robust bilateral relationship.

“Being able to come to the table, negotiate the agreement, and sign it in under such a short period says a lot about the relationship between the two countries. We have seen trade growing since CEPA was signed, we have seen investments going to both countries, and also interest growing among Indian businesses to work in the UAE and vice versa,” he mentioned. 

Last 12 months, throughout PM Modi’s go to to Abu Dhabi, a number of MOUs had been signed between India and UAE on renewable power, healthcare and commerce. The two nations recorded commerce of about $85 billion in 2022-23. The UAE can also be among the many high 4 traders in India when it comes to overseas direct investments in 2022-23.

The India-Middle East-Europe financial hall was unveiled on the G20 summit in September. Seen by many as a counter to China’s Belt Road Initiative, this new partnership additional transcended India-UAE bilateral relations. 

“What started as a concept last year is now seeing the light of day. There will be more context on this after PM Modi’s visit,” Ambassador Alshaali mentioned.

Comparing the interval since PM Modi’s first go to to the UAE in 2015 with the previous years, the ambassador additionally highlighted the unprecedented high-level engagement, elevated investments, and rising commerce between the 2 nations. 

“Since PM Modi’s first visit to the UAE in 2015, we have seen high-level engagement, investments, and trade between the two countries. If all of this could be achieved in such a short period, I cannot even begin to imagine what we can achieve in the coming years,” he mentioned. 

About 3.5 million robust and the Indian group within the Gulf nation varieties the biggest expatriate group within the UAE. Ambassador Alshaali harassed the pivotal function performed by the Indian group within the UAE’s success. 

“They have played an important role and I think they will continue to play an important role. Some see the UAE as their second home, and that will continue to be the case in the coming years. What has changed perhaps now is that as we venture into other sectors, Indians are coming from other specialisations to the UAE to see how they can expand their business or contribute to UAE’s development,” he mentioned.

Following the conclusion of his UAE tour, PM Modi will depart for Qatar on Wednesday.