New Delhi, Apr 8: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar welcomed UAE's Crown Prince, Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on his first official visit to India on Tuesday.

In a post on X, Jaishankar expressed warmth upon his arrival and noted he values the positive sentiment of the Crown Prince over the wide-ranging cooperation and vibrant ties between India and the UAE.

The EAM wrote on X, "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 Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is visiting India from April 8 to 9, 2025, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Upon his arrival in India, he was welcomed with a ceremonial guard of honour and received by Union Minister of State for Tourism & Petroleum and Natural Gas, Suresh Gopi.

This marks his first official visit to India in his capacity as Crown Prince of Dubai. He will be accompanied by several key Ministers, senior-level government officials, and a prominent delegation of business leaders, reflecting the growing depth of India-UAE partnership and their expanding strategic scope, the MEA said in a statement.

Following engagements in the capital, he will visit Mumbai and participate in a business roundtable involving top Indian and Emirati business leaders.

The roundtable will explore opportunities for increased trade and investment in both traditional sectors such as infrastructure and energy, as well as emerging fields like fintech, innovation, and sustainability.

The interaction is aimed at further accelerating economic cooperation and shaping a forward-looking commercial partnership between the two nations.

Dubai has long served as a vital hub in India's commercial and cultural exchanges with the UAE. The strong people-to-people ties are underpinned by the large Indian diaspora in the Emirates - estimated at 4.3 million - with a significant majority residing in Dubai. The visit is expected to add new momentum to the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and further enhance India's institutional and grassroot-level ties with Dubai.

Formal diplomatic relations between India and the UAE were established in 1972. Since Prime Minister Modi's landmark visit in 2015, the first by an Indian PM in over three decades, bilateral engagement has grown significantly.

The UAE hosts India's largest overseas community, whose contributions are deeply respected and continue to strengthen the enduring bond between the two nations.

(ANI)

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