Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates and the Republic of India held the sixth session of their joint Consular Committee at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Abu Dhabi.

The UAE delegation was headed by Omar Obaid Alhesan Alshamsi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the Indian delegation was led by Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary of Consular, Passport, Visa, and Overseas Indian Affairs. The meeting focused on ways to enhance cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

Alshamsi welcomed the Indian delegation and conveyed the greetings of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, along with H.H.’s best wishes for a successful and productive meeting. He emphasised that convening the sixth session of the joint Consular Committee reflects the commitment of the leadership of both countries to strengthen bilateral relations, and embodies the deep historical, cultural, and strategic ties that unite the UAE and India, contributing to shared interests and meeting the aspirations of the peoples of both friendly nations.

The meeting discussed several areas of mutual interest, including enhancing consular cooperation and exploring ways to exchange expertise and best practices in this field, thereby broadening avenues of joint collaboration and supporting efforts to further elevate consular services provided to citizens of both countries.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the Indian delegation toured the UAE’s Smart Mission model, the first-of-its-kind globally, which employs an integrated ecosystem of advanced technologies and artificial intelligence solutions to deliver pioneering consular services.

The model reflects the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to simplify procedures and enhance customer experience across UAE missions worldwide.