PM Modi to visit Dubai on January 6, first international trip in 2022

New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on January 6. This will mark PM Modi’s first international trip of 2022 during which, the leader will visit the Dubai Expo and sign the India-UAE Free trade agreement.

PM Modi will visit the India Pavillion at the Dubai Expo. The pavilion is a massive 4-floor pavilion that has showcased India's culture, Yoga, Ayurveda to Space programme. The pavilion was inaugurated by India's trade minister Piyush Goyal on October 1and has been visited by many foreign leaders including by Cyprus Foreign minister and the King of Sweden. The pavilion also has a model of Ram temple and the BAPS Hindu temple that is being built in Abu Dhabi.

Another key focus of the visit will be the signing of the India-UAE Free trade agreement. Earlier this month speaking at an event, Trade Minister Goyal said that the FTA is an "outstanding achievement for India. It will open doors for several sectors...it will be the fastest FTA India has ever entered into. A full FTA".

Talks for the FTA was launched in September. The third round of the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in Delhi took place in December. Trade between the two countries have been robust as UAE is the second-largest export destination of India (after the US) with an amount of over US$ 30 billion for the year 2018-19.

 For UAE, India was the second-largest trading partner during 2018 with US$ 36 billion (non-oil trade). UAE has committed $100 Billion for investment and infrastructure creation in India.

India and UAE have a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ and have seen increased engagement at every level.  PM Modi had visited the West Asian country in 2015, 2018 and 2019. UAE has conferred the highest civilian award 'the Order of Zayed’ on the PM. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, (MBZ) Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces, visited India in from February 2016. MBZ visited India again in January 2017 as the Chief Guest at India’s Republic day celebrations

Diaspora forms a deep connection. UAE hosts one of the largest populations of Indians outside of India. Indian expatriate community of approx. 3.3 million is the largest ethnic community in UAE constituting roughly about 30 per cent of the country’s population. Among the Indian States, Kerala is the most represented followed by Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.  Indians from the Northern States also form a significant portion of the UAE Indian population.

However, PM will not be going to Kuwait, as was being reported earlier. The last high-level visit from India to the country was by External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar in June of this year. During the visit, EAM called on the Prime Minister of Kuwait and held a meeting with the Foreign Minister of Kuwait. The last prime ministerial visit from India to Kuwait was by PM Indira Gandhi in 1981 and work is on the visit of PM Modi to the country soon.

Apart from this, Modi's planned visit of 2022, include Denmark, Germany, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and others but the covid situation globally will weigh in on how the plan goes forward. 2021 saw PM going to Bangladesh, US, Italy and United Kingdom for a bilateral visit and summits like Quad, G20 and Climate Change summit.

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