Dubai: The World Government Summit on Sunday announced that India is a guest country in its upcoming gathering.

The Annual Gathering is scheduled for February 11 to 13, 2018. Honorary guests from India will join the notable list of speakers synonymous with the World Government Summit to showcase the country’s emerging economic growth, highlight valuable knowledge, skills, and capabilities and elaborate on the country’s unique culture, according to the Summit.

The UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, and Chairman of the World Government Summit, Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, confirms that hosting India as honorary guest of the Annual Gathering aligns with the Summit’s mission to strengthen its partnerships with countries that encompass pioneering experiences in strategic areas.

Such partnerships strengthen the Summit’s status as the largest organisation to highlight exceptional experiences and be the first global forum for governments, states, organisations and the private sector, to address the future of government and societies.

Al Gergawi states that the presence of the Indian government and its delegates is a key part of the Summit’s Annual Gathering and a continuation of the distinguished relationship between the UAE and India.

Al Gergawi emphasised the historical relations between the UAE and India as one of the leading trading partners, based on a solid foundation of mutual respect and a long history of common interests across various sectors.

Al Gergawi also emphasised that the World Government Summit focuses on hosting guest countries with exceptional experiences, worthy of being global models to follow.

India carries such a model, especially in terms of the economic and social changes witnessed over the last few years. Today, India stands as the world’s fourth fastest growing economy with an annual GDP growth rate averaged at 6.12 per cent from 1951 until 2017.

Al Gergawi revealed the unprecedented flow of requests to participate in the sixth edition of World Government Summit Annual Gathering, with requests coming from across 140 countries for showcasing innovations and experiences through a world-leading platform.

The Indian delegation participating in the Annual Gathering will bring across the latest technologies developed by India, covering space exploration and technological advancements; while the Indian private sector will participate with pilot experiences through interactive sessions and dialogues.

Today, India boasts a growing self-made space program, with achievements bringing its space marke tat par with that of the US, Russia, and the European Space Agency.

The latest achievement being the first successful launch of India’s heaviest, most powerful rocket, developed entirely in India, in June of this year.

Some of the world’s leading company CEO’s hail from India, having graduated from top Indian graduate schools. It is also important to highlight that 8 percent of the founders of high-tech companies and 1/3 of technology startups in Silicon Valley are from India.

India is the second largest UAE trade partner after China, with trade between the two countries amounting to 60 billion dollars per year. In addition, the two countries enjoy cooperative relations spanningadvanced educational institutions in the UAE and scientific research institutions in India across the fields of renewable energy, sustainable development, agriculture and space science, as well as satellite development and launching.

At its fifth session in February, 2017 in Dubai, the World Summit of Governments attracted more than 4,000 participants from 139 countries and 150 speakers attended 114 sessions.

Participants included VIPs and experts from the public and private sectors around the world, as well as heads of state, royalty, ministers, CEOs, innovators, entrepreneurs, academics and university students from the top universities in the world.