Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a 40,000 audience of the Indian community in UAE at the ‘Ahlan Modi’ event in Abu Dhabi on February 13.
Ahlan Modi, which translates to Welcome Modi in English, drew Indians from across the Emirates in huge numbers. Chants of “Modi Modi” filled the Zayed Sports City Stadium as the Indian leader commended the spirit of the people assembled at the venue.
“You may have come here from different parts of the UAE and India, but everyone’s hearts are connected,” Modi said at the event, addressing the diaspora as his family. "This is the time to hail the friendship between India and the UAE. In this historic stadium, every heartbeat echoes the same sentiment- Long live Bharat-UAE friendship," he added.
Modi then thanked the Minister of Tolerance Nahyan bin Mubarak, and commended him for his affection toward the Indian community. He went on to thank the UAE President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed for organizing the event. “It wouldn’t have been possible without his support,” Modi remarked.
Earlier in the day, the President received PM Modi at the airport for his two-day visit to the country. Reflecting on the relationship the two countries have fostered since 2015, Modi said, “I remember my first visit in 2015 … It was the first visit of an Indian PM to the UAE, after three decades.”
“The world of diplomacy was new to me,” he said, and recalled the warm welcome by Bin Zayed, the then-Crown Prince, and his five brothers. "That warmth, the shine in their eyes - I can never forget that.”
Overwhelmed by the affection at the #AhlanModi community programme in Abu Dhabi.https://t.co/dZJ5oPz73R
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 13, 2024
Speaking of the region’s first Hindu temple, Modi said he had presented the proposal to build one to Zayed during his 2015 visit. “In 2015, when I presented to him (Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed) the proposal to build a temple in Abu Dhabi on behalf of all of you, he immediately said yes to it...now the time has come to inaugurate this grand (BAPS) temple,” he asserted.
Appreciating the India-UAE relationship which has grown strong over the years, Modi maintained that the partnership is key to a better future for both nations, and the friendship is their shared wealth. “In reality, we are moving towards the dawn of a bright future,” Modi said, first in Arabic, which he later translated into Hindi.
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