Crown Prince of Dubai presents PM Modi replica of his grandfather's traditional cloak

New Delhi, April 8: Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi a replica of his grandfather Sheikh Rashid's 'bisht' - a traditional embroidered cloak worn over the Qandura by Arab men - symbolising the historic and generational political friendship between the two countries, during their meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Modi hosted a working lunch for the Crown Prince at his residence in Lok Kalyan Marg and conveyed his warm regards to the President of UAE, Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. PM Modi also conveyed his good wishes to the new-born daughter of the Crown Prince Hind bint Hamdan, mentioned a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Both leaders discussed avenues to strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and the UAE, and strong cultural and people-to-people ties between India and Dubai.

This is Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's first official visit to India as the Crown Prince of Dubai and he is accompanied by several ministers, senior government officials and a high-level business delegation.

"Glad to meet HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai. Dubai has played a key role in advancing the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This special visit reaffirms our deep-rooted friendship and paves the way for even stronger collaboration in the future," Prime Minister Modi posted on X after the meeting.

The Crown Prince also held a meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, discussing ways to further strengthen the strategic defence and security partnership between the two countries in line with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

"For India, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the UAE is of immense priority. In the coming years, we are eager to work closely in areas such as defence cooperation, co-production and co-development projects, innovation and technology. Both India and the UAE are committed to work towards peace and prosperity in the region," Singh posted on X.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, during his meeting with the visiting dignitary, highlighted the tremendous deepening and widening of the relationship across sectors between the two countries in recent years.

The Crown Prince presented an original newspaper coverage of the successful effort of his father, the Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum in saving passengers on board Indian Airlines Flight 421 in August 1984.

Later in the day, he also met Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal during a high-level business meeting in Mumbai.

"They discussed the contribution of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in the rapid growth of bilateral trade. Goyal welcomed the signing of milestone MoUs and announcements made at the business event and expressed hope that these will further strengthen bilateral economic engagement and take it to unprecedented heights. In particular, the progress on the Virtual Trade Corridor (VTC), and its contribution in facilitating bilateral trade as well as, as a building block of IMEEC, was acknowledged," the MEA stated.

Reader Comments

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Rahul K.

What a beautiful gesture! The bisht represents so much more than just a garment - it's a symbol of shared history and mutual respect between our nations. 🇮🇳🤝🇦🇪

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Priya M.

I love how diplomacy is being strengthened through cultural exchanges like this. The UAE has become such an important partner for India in recent years. Hope this friendship continues to grow!

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Amit S.

While the symbolic gestures are nice, I hope there's more concrete progress on the economic and defense partnerships mentioned. The CEPA agreement needs to deliver more benefits for small businesses.

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Sanjana P.

The story about Sheikh Mohammed saving passengers on Indian Airlines Flight 421 gave me goosebumps! Such deep historical connections between our countries. ❤️

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Vikram J.

Dubai has been a second home for so many Indians. Great to see our leaders strengthening these ties. The Virtual Trade Corridor sounds promising for future business opportunities!

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Neha R.

The attention to detail in these diplomatic exchanges is impressive - from discussing the Crown Prince's newborn to presenting historical artifacts. Shows how personal relationships matter in international relations.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.