UAE-India ties stronger than ever since Modi visit: Official

Wam

Dubai - The two countries enjoy special relations, which have become stronger with the passage of time.

Published: Mon 16 Aug 2021, 6:26 PM

By
Suneeti Ahuja Kohli

The centuries-old relations of the UAE and India have been growing stronger over the past few years, particularly since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the country in 2015, a top official said.

“The two countries enjoy special relations, which have become stronger with the passage of time. In the last five years, the two sides have exchanged visits at the highest levels, which indicates the importance both countries attach to these relations. The ties have become more mature and multi-dimensional,” said Sheikh Salem bin Sultan Saqr Al Qasimi, chairman of the Department of Civil Aviation and Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) Airport.

Sheikh Salem bin Sultan was speaking at the 75th India Independence Day celebrations organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), Dubai Chapter, on Sunday evening.

Congratulating the 3.3-million-strong Indian expatriate community in the UAE on their country’s 75th Independence Day, he said the two countries have created channels of cooperation that expand development opportunities in several modern sectors, such as the energy space, technology, investments, and infrastructure.

Dr Aman Puri, Consul-General of India in Dubai, conveyed the community’s gratitude to the UAE leadership for taking “exceptionally good care” of all residents, including the large Indian community.

“I salute the resilience of the UAE in making sure that an event such as Expo 2020 Dubai, which is slated to be the world’s greatest show, is being organised in the backdrop of this global challenge. India is poised for an emphatic participation at the Expo 2020 with one of the largest pavilions,” Dr Puri said.

Talking about India’s economic bounce-back after a significant blow due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Rizwan Sajan, chairman and founder of Danube Group, said: “With the successful launch of the world’s largest vaccination drive in India, I’m confident the country will bounce back soon and emerge stronger from this crisis. India is emerging as the fastest growing economy in the world and expected to be among the top three economic powerhouses in the next 10 years. Its robust gross domestic product (GDP) growth of eight per cent is backed by robust democracy and strong partnership. India’s PM deserves credit for this stellar growth projection.”

Sundar Nurani, chairman of ICAI Dubai Chapter, NPIO, thanked the Rulers of the UAE for providing continuous support to the expatriate population. He went on to mention how the ICAI Dubai chapter maintains a strong bond with India and its members have been instrumental in extending support to India time and again. “During the second wave of Covid-19 infections in India, we procured 75 oxygen concentrators, which were distributed across India. This chapter also distributed food and other essential items during the initial outbreak of Covid-19 in Dubai.”

suneeti@khaleejtimes.com