PM Modi arrived here yesterday on a two-day visit, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 34 years.
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Muscat: While a majority of Indians in Oman were disappointed over missing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Dubai, a few lucky ones who managed to book seats online through their friends in Dubai were thrilled to listen to him. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was the last Prime Minister to visit the UAE in 1981.
More than 2.6 million Indians live in the UAE and their annual remittance is estimated to be around $14 billion.
He visited Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, where he reflected on the monument as a symbol of “peace, piety, harmony and inclusiveness that are inherent to the faith of Islam”.
The Indian Prime Minister expressed confidence in the UAE leadership and people, describing the country as a friendly one, which hosts the largest Indian community on its territory.
He added that Modi will also make it clear that “the safety, security and welfare conditions for Indian workers” must be secured.
Mr Modi, who attended a meeting with prominent business leaders, said India had an “immediate investment opportunity of $1tn(£640bn)”.
India and the UAE call on all States to dismantle terrorism infrastructure where they exist and bring perpetrators of terrorism to justice, according to brief points of the joint statement tweeted by external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup under the hashtag #TogetheronTerror.
“The people who know Abu Dhabi, they realise that the decision is of such importance”.
Modi is the first Indian premier to visit the UAE in more than three decades.
Earlier in the day, Modi addressed business leaders from the UAE and said India offers investment potential to the tune of United States dollars 1 trillion and invited them to invest in the country.
It set a target of increasing bilateral trade by 60 per cent in the next five years and pledged cooperation in developing and launching satellites, as well as peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
“Good Taliban, bad Taliban will not work”.
“Obviously, India is a country of institutions, and the credibility of New Delhi is attractive and respectable”.
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Addressing top businesspersons like Etisalat CEO Ahmed Abdulkarim Julfar and Emaar Properties chairperson Mohammed Ali Al Abbar, Modi also promised to erase the deficit of prime ministerial interactions of the past 34 years.
