New Delhi: Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan arrived in India on Tuesday, April 8, marking the beginning of his first official visit to the country, Dubai Media Office confirmed. The two-day trip, taking place at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will conclude on April 9.

Upon his arrival at the airport, Sheikh Hamdan was warmly received by Suresh Gopi, India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Tourism.

During this official trip, the Dubai Crown Prince will hold talks with senior officials on ways to strengthen partnership and cooperation between the the UAE and India. His visit aims to strengthen bilateral ties and explore opportunities for enhanced cooperation between the two counties.

Prime Minister Modi on April 8 will host a working lunch for Sheikh Hamdan. He will also meet with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

On the second day of this official trip, Sheikh Hamdan will visit Mumbai. During the visit, he will also participate in a business roundtable with prominent business leaders from both sides.

In recent years, bilateral ties between the UAE and India have strengthened under the leadership of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Narendra Modi. In 2024, the UAE President received a warm welcome in India after landing in Gujarat to attend the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit as the chief guest of the summit.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on September 8 last year also went for an official visit to India. On September 9, he met with Narendra Modi and held discussions on a wide range of areas of bilateral cooperation. He also visited Rajghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.

Dubai has played an important role in India’s commercial, cultural and people-to-people exchanges with the UAE. In 2024, the Indian population in the UAE reached nearly 4 million.