New Delhi:

The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi today visited Rajghat in New Delhi to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and planted a tree sapling, making him the third generation leader from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to plant a sapling at Rajghat.

He planted an Amaltas (Cassia Fistula) sapling as part of a unique tradition which previous leaders from the UAE have also followed.

In 1992, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE, had also planted an Amaltas sapling during his visit to India.

In 2016, his son, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the current President of UAE, continued this tradition by planting a Molshri (Mimusops Elengi) sapling.

This marks the first time in the history of Rajghat that three generations of leaders from a single nation have planted trees honouring the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, signifying the deep-rooted and growing relationship between India and the UAE.

Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in New Delhi on Monday on his first official visit to India.

He met Prime Minister Narendra Modi today at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi. The two leaders signed multiple pacts on nuclear energy, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), oil, and food.

The Crown Prince later called on President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. “The President expressed satisfaction that during the Crown Prince’s visit, India and UAE have further expanded the historic yet forward looking partnership through several agreements in new areas of cooperation,” the President of India wrote on X.

New Delhi:

The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi has met Prime Minister Narendra Modi today in New Delhi as he begins his first official trip to India as the Crown Prince. The two leaders have begun talks to further bilateral ties between India and the UAE.

PM Modi received Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Hyderabad House, where they will hold talks.

This is the first time India is officially engaging with the next generation of royalty and government from the UAE, highlighting the importance India gives to its ties with the UAE.

Apart from meeting the PM, the Crown Prince will also call on President Droupadi Murmu.

He is also scheduled to visit Mumbai tomorrow, where he will participate in a Business Forum in which top business leaders from both countries will participate.

Since the landmark visit by PM Modi to UAE in August 2015, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 34 years, bilateral relations between the two countries have elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

India is the UAE’s second-largest trading partner, while the UAE is India’s largest trading partner in the Arab world. Total trade between India and the UAE is projected to reach USD 100 billion by the end of the decade. The bilateral trade between the two countries in 2022-23 was about USD 85 billion, according to official data.

The UAE is also among the top four investors in India in terms of Foreign Direct Investments or FDI in 2022-23.