Modi was received by Shaikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi at the airport, in a departure from the protocol. (Photo: @narendramodi/Twitter) Modi was received by Shaikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi at the airport, in a departure from the protocol. (Photo: @narendramodi/Twitter)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today began his two-day trip to the UAE by visiting the historic Sheikh Zayed Grand mosque, the world’s third largest.

After his arrival, Modi, on first public engagement here, visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, a key place of worship in the UAE and known as a masterpiece of Islamic architecture.

The mosque is third largest in the world after the ones in Mecca and Madina in Saudi Arabia. It is named after the founder and first President of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

The mosque can accommodate around 40,000 people. The mosque was constructed from 1996 to 2007.

With HH Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan & HE Dr. Anwar Gargash at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. #Selfie pic.twitter.com/rk33ZOlOuS — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 16, 2015

PM Narendra Modi takes a ‘Selfie’ at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. pic.twitter.com/AYzVtjI9iL — ANI (@ANI_news) August 16, 2015

Paying tribute to a visionary leader. PM @narendramodi visits the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. pic.twitter.com/fb8I6cSH2U — Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) August 16, 2015

The first Indian Prime Minister to visit the UAE in 34 years, Modi was earlier received by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi along with his five brothers at the airport, in a departure from protocol. The last dignitary to be received by him was the King of Morocco in May this year.

PM Narendra Modi at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. #ModiInUAE pic.twitter.com/qEWuwenwKb — ANI (@ANI_news) August 16, 2015

PM Narendra Modi waves at the crowd at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. #ModiInUAE pic.twitter.com/PBUhDMXqFw — ANI (@ANI_news) August 16, 2015

PM Narendra Modi at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. #ModiInUAE pic.twitter.com/x7pebWHxxt — ANI (@ANI_news) August 16, 2015

The UAE too is attaching considerable significance to Modi’s visit.

Shaikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi crown prince and Deputy Commander of the UAE armed forces was at the Abu Dhabi presidential airport to receive him, underlining the importance attached by the UAE to his visit. Modi’s first stop will be the Sheikh Zayed grand mosque. Later in the day, he will visit a labour camp.

Hello UAE. I am very optimistic about this visit. I am confident the outcomes of the visit will boost India-UAE ties pic.twitter.com/50b4atyIZP — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 16, 2015

Modi has said that the Gulf region is vital for the economic, energy and security interests of India and made it clear that New Delhi wants to forge a strong strategic partnership with the UAE. Modi plans to engage with West Asia in a big way.

أنا أقدراللفتة الكريمة الغالية من الفريق أول صاحب السمو الشيخ محمد بن زايد آل نهيان للإستــقبال فى المطار. pic.twitter.com/09c0tnoDNl — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 16, 2015

“I have begun my regional engagement with the UAE. This tells you the importance that I attach to the UAE,” he told Khaleej Times before leaving for Abu Dhabi.

I deeply appreciate kind gesture of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who received me at the airport pic.twitter.com/TjGBVHM3ld — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 16, 2015

مرحبا بالإمارات العربية المتحدة، أنا متفائل جدا حول هذه الزيارة، أنا واثق بأن هذه الزيارة تعززالعلاقات بين الهند والإمارات. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 16, 2015

“We have a range of common security and strategic concerns in the region, including terrorism and extremism. So India and the UAE have everything to be a top priority for each other…..We have resolved to sustain regular high level engagement and build a strong and comprehensive strategic partnership,” he has said.

The two-day visit is aimed at boosting the energy, security, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.

Apart from seeking enhanced cooperation in energy and trade, Modi will look to reach out to investors to promote India as an attractive business destination.

Visit’s focus on trade and investments is also reflected in the fact that the Prime Minister will be attending a dinner hosted in his honour by Managing Director of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) Hamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

ADIA has USD 800 billion sovereign funds and India is expected to woo it to attract investments in the infrastructure sector.

India-UAE trade, valued at USD 180 million (Dh 660.6 million) per annum in the 1970s, is today around USD 60 billion making the UAE, India’s third largest trading partner for the year 2014-15 after China and the US.

Given that late Indira Gandhi was the last Prime Minister to visit UAE in 1981, Modi’s visit is seen as an opportunity to boost India-UAE ties in key areas of trade and security.

Marvelling at the UAE’s spectacular achievements, Modi described the Gulf nation as a paradise built up in a desert with unmatched vision and remarkable skill.

“I have always thought, how this paradise could come up in a desert? What vision! What remarkable skill!” Modi said of the country.

After his arrival, Modi’s first public engagement will be to visit Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, a key place of worship in UAE and known as a masterpiece of Islamic architecture.

The mosque is the third largest in the world after the ones in Mecca and Madina in Saudi Arabia.

It is named after the founder and first President of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Notably, a large portion of the 2.6 million Indians in the UAE are from Bihar and many are Muslims.

Modi will also interact with Indian workers at their camps I-CAD to know the problems they face and discuss ways Indian government can help them. The I-CAD Residential Labour Camp, housing thousands of migrant labourers from the Indian subcontinent in an area spread over one square kilometre.

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