PM Modi received the Crown Prince at New Delhi's Palam airport.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday broke protocol as he received Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as he arrived here on a three-day visit to India.
During Mr Al Nahyan's three-day visit, his first to India, the two countries will discuss ways to enhance ties in a range of areas including energy, economy and security and are expected to sign a number of agreements in sectors like oil nuclear energy, IT, aerospace, railways and electronics.
"A special welcome for a special friend. PM @narendramodi personally receives HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan," tweeted the Prime Minister's Office with a photo of the two leaders shaking hands at the Palam Technical Airport.
PM Modi had visited UAE in August last year, the first by an Indian Prime Minister after a gap of 34 years, and Mr Al Nahyan had received him at the Abu Dhabi airport.
Mr Al Nahyan, also the Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE armed forces, is accompanied by a power-packed delegation for his three-day trip till February 12 which includes several top ministers and over 100 business tycoons and CEOs of top companies.
The two leaders will hold detailed deliberations tomorrow following which both sides are expected to sign a number of agreements to expand cooperation in several sectors.
Ways to contain radicalism, stepping up counter-terrorism cooperation and dealing with the ISIS are likely to figure prominently in talks Mr Al Nahyan will have with PM Modi tomorrow.
The economy of UAE, one of the leading producers of oil, has been hit hard by falling crude prices and it is expected that the Gulf nation would like to invest significantly in India's energy and infrastructure sectors from its sovereign wealth fund of around $800 billion.