Abu Dhabi, Feb 14:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed a mega event of the Indian community in the UAE, where he hailed the growing relations between the two countries.
The ‘Ahlan Modi’ event at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi was one of the key events during the Prime Minister’s two-day visit to the Gulf country. On Wednesday, he will inaugurate the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Mandir, the first Hindu stone temple in Abu Dhabi.
Modi said the India-UAE relations have reached unprecedented heights and that the two countries are partners in each others’ progress. “India and UAE are partners in progress. Our relationship is of talent, innovation and culture.”
The prime minister spoke a few sentences in Arabic to highlight how many words spoken in India have links to the language. “What India and the UAE have achieved in community and cultural relations is a model for world,” he asserted.
Modi greeted the thousands-strong audience with a ‘Namaskar’ amid chants of ‘Modi, Modi’.
Claiming that India and the UAE were together writing a new history of the 21st century, he said the Indian diaspora in the Gulf country was a big reason for that.
“You have scripted a history by coming in such large numbers here. You may have come from different parts of UAE and from different states of India, but everyone’s hearts are connected,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister further remarked that India is being identified for its new ideas, innovation and mega infra projects, and that the country is emerging as a vibrant tourism destination and a sports power.
Noting that the UPI payment would begin in the UAE soon, Modi said this will make seamless payments between accounts in India and the UAE possible.
Interlinking of the instant payment platforms – UPI (India) and AANI (UAE) – was one of the several agreements signed by the two countries during a delegation-level talks between Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The agreement is expected to facilitate seamless cross-border transactions between the two countries.
An agreement on inter-linking domestic debit/credit cards – RuPay (India) with JAYWAN (UAE) – was also signed, which will enhance the universal acceptance of RuPay across the UAE.
Loud and cheerful sloganeering, vibrant, traditional dances, a sprinkling of Arabic and multiple Indian language words, and an evocation of pride in being an Indian was how the ‘Ahlan Modi’ event unfolded here on Tuesday evening.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi entered the open-air Zayed Sports City Stadium, members of the Indian diaspora welcomed him with slogans of ‘Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi,’ ‘We Love Modi,’ ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai,’ and even ‘Jai Shree Ram’ over and above the loud music blaring.
UAE President Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed, who had received Modi outside the stadium, the venue for the high-voltage event ‘Ahlan Modi’ (‘Hello Modi’ in Arabic), joined him at the community celebrations attended by a mix audience of majority Indians, and some UAE officials and locals.
