Modi in the UAE: Indians abroad gear-up for the 'biggest event'

 

 

 

The Indian diaspora in the United Arab Emirates is gearing up for the largest-ever community summit, ‘Ahlan Modi’ (Hello Modi), in honour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 

 

 

 

More than 65,000 Indian citizens living in the UAE have signed up to see PM Modi at Zayed Sports City stadium in Abu Dhabi on February 13, a day ahead of the inauguration of the long-awaited Hindu temple, organisers told News Bharati. He will also take part in the World Government Summit in Dubai before the large public gathering the same day.

 

“There is so much yearning in the community to see the prime minister,” Sunjay Sudhir, India’s ambassador to the UAE, told the Abu Dhabi newspaper The National, recently.

 

“The last time it was in Dubai and so this time it will be in Abu Dhabi at the Zayed Sports City stadium that can accommodate tens of thousands of people," Sudhir said.

 

In his previous public gathering in Dubai in 2015, PM Modi had announced the UAE’s decision to allocate land for a Hindu temple in the country’s capital, following his request to the Abu Dhabi leadership. At this (February 13) meeting, he is expected to speak about the much-awaited fulfilment of people’s requests — the completion of the Hindu Mandir and its dedication the next day.

 

This could be PM Modi’s last foreign visit and public gathering abroad before the Lok Sabha polls and the event organisers want to make it big.

 

 

 

 

“There is immense interest to attend the event among the 35 lakh strong Indian diaspora in the UAE. We also have requests from the other Gulf countries. We want to make it bigger than his first such gathering at New York’s Madison Square Garden in September 2014, which was attended by about 20,000 people and Wembley (London) in November 2015, where about 60,000 attended,” said Vinayak Awate, general secretary of Indian People’s Forum.

 

The organisers had to close the registration last week, following overwhelming response and lack of space to accommodate such a large crowd.

 

“The February 13 event is being organised collaboratively by 150 Indian community groups in the UAE,” Dr Swapnil Nagvekar, member of International Sadguru Council, a non-profit organisation fostering global peace and unity, told News Bharati from Abu Dhabi.

 

“A cultural programme involving 700 local talents has been put together to add colour to the show. There will be a procession of different states of India such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and southern part in the stadium,” Dr Nagvekar said.

 

Nishi Singh, communication director of the Ahlan Modi organising committee, and who has lived in the UAE for more than three decades, said: “This a community-driven programme so we are not getting any celebrities from outside. It will be local talent, … sourced from the Indian community for a cultural extravaganza.”

 

 

 

 

More than 35 lakh Indian citizens live in the UAE, making it the most popular destination for Indians seeking work abroad, according to figures released last year by V. Muraleedharan, Minister of State for External Affairs Minister.

 

PM Modi has visited the UAE several times since he took office in 2014. The upcoming visit will be his seventh to the Gulf country – second-most after the US (eight). He last addressed the Indian community at the Dubai Opera House in February 2018 and watched a live telecast of the foundation ceremony of the Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi.

 

Prior to that, more than 40,000 people gathered to hear PM Modi speak at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in August 2015. It was the first visit by an Indian prime minister to the UAE in 34 years after Indira Gandhi in May 1981.

 

 

 

 

The PM also visited the UAE twice last year. In July 2023, the two countries signed an agreement to set up a campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-Delhi), which is set to launch its first master's programme this month. And in November-December last year, he visited the Emirates to attend the UN Climate Change Conference – CoP28.

 

In recent years, the relationship between India and the UAE has flourished – strengthening bilateral trade and mutual understanding. The Ahlan Modi event follows the visit of the UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India for the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit at Gandhinagar last month, highlighting the deep connections forged by the leaders of both nations.

 

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