Grand Temple Opening, Global Summit Address On PM's Gulf Schedule Today

Bilateral meetings and the inauguration of a grand Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi are part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's packed schedule on the second day of his trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Prime Minister will be holding a bilateral meeting with Emir of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed ibn Rashid Al Maktoum. He will then inaugurate Bharat Mart, a warehousing facility that will enable Indian exporters to showcase their products under one roof. The concept is similar to Dragon Mart, a trading hub and retail complex for Chinese products in Dubai.

Later in the day, the Prime Minister will be participating in the World Government Summit as the Guest of Honour. He will also deliver a keynote address. Ahead of the summit, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai lit up with the words 'Guest of Honor - Republic of India'.

In a post on X, Dubai's Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said, "We extend a warm welcome to the Republic of India, the guest of honour at this year's World Governments Summit, and to His Excellency Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India. The strong ties between our nations serve as a model for international cooperation."

Around 6 pm (local time), the Prime Minister will inaugurate the BAPS temple, UAE's first traditional stone temple, in Abu Dhabi's Abu Mureikhah district. The grand temple on a 27-acre campus has come up on land gifted by the UAE government. The Prime Minister had in 2018 laid the foundation for the temple, the construction of which cost approximately 400 million dirhams -- about 900 crore rupees.

The Prime Minister has thanked UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his support for the temple project.

"I consider the construction of BAPS temple here as a reflection of your love for India and your vision for the bright future of the UAE. This couldn't have been possible without your support. During our first meeting, I had just put up a simple request for you to look into it and you took a prompt decision, asking me to 'Put your finger on any piece of land, you will get it'. Perhaps, this level of love and trust showcases the unique relationship," he said yesterday.

Following the temple ceremony, the Prime Minister will proceed to Qatar capital Doha. The Doha trip comes right after New Delhi's huge diplomatic feat of getting eight Navy veterans released from prison in Qatar. The Navy veterans were last year sentenced to death in Qatar. While reports claimed that they were convicted in a spying case, neither India nor Qatar have made the allegations public. The Prime Minister will be holding a bilateral meeting with Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. He is scheduled to return tomorrow.

On the first day of his Gulf trip, the Prime Minister held a bilateral meeting with the UAE president, during which several MoUs were signed. The Prime Minister last evening attended a grand disapora event -- called Ahlan Modi -- organised by the Indian community there. "I have come to meet my family members. I have brought the fragrance of the soil where you were born and have brought the message of 140 crore people. The message is that Bharat is proud of you," he said to loud cheers from the over 65,000 crowd.