Narendra Modi UAE visit LIVE: PM to inaugurate UAE’s first Hindu temple

“In 2015, when I presented to him (Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed) the proposal to build a temple in Abu Dhabi on behalf of all of you, he immediately said yes to it…now the time has come to inaugurate this grand (BAPS) temple,” Modi said.

During his two-day official visit to the UAE, PM Modi will have a meeting with UAE Vice President Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Key highlights of day 1:

• Upon arrival at the airport on Tuesday, PM Modi received a warm welcome from UAE President Al Nahyan, and they greeted each other with handshakes and hugs. This marks Modi’s seventh visit to the UAE since 2015, and the third in the past eight months.
• PM Modi and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held talks and witnessed the exchange of several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on Tuesday.
• The stadium echoed with cheers of “Modi-Modi” as thousands of Indian diaspora members welcomed PM Modi.
• PM Modi emphasised India’s recognition for its large-scale infrastructure projects and the success of Digital India, saying that the world sees India as a global friend.
• Highlighting the strong ties between India and the UAE, PM Modi mentioned his frequent visits to the country over the past decade and announced the upcoming establishment of a new Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) office in Dubai.
• Various agreements were signed, including cooperation in Digital Infrastructure Projects, a protocol between the National Archives of both countries, collaboration in heritage and museums, and agreements on interlinking payment platforms like UPI (India) and AANI (UAE), as well as domestic debit/credit cards like RuPay (India) and JAYWAN (UAE).