India Welcomes Dubai Royalty: Guard of Honour for Prince Hamdan
Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, made his first official visit to New Delhi. Union Minister of State for Tourism & Petroleum and Natural Gas, Suresh Gopi, received him with a ceremonial guard of honor.
Senior Indian officials greeted the Crown Prince of Dubai upon his arrival at the Palam Airport and presented him with a ceremonial guard of honor.
When he arrived, he also saw a musical performance. The Crown Prince’s visit was a major turning point in the India-UAE relationship, according to a post on X by Randhir Jaiswal, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson. On X, he wrote: “From Dubai to Delhi! An important turning point in India-UAE relations. On his first official visit, Crown Prince of Dubai @HamdanMohammed, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, arrives in New Delhi. met at the airport by MoS @TheSureshGopi and greeted with a ceremonial Guard of Honor.”
The Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is visiting India from April 8 to 9, 2025, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This marks his first official visit to India in his capacity as Crown Prince of Dubai. He will be accompanied by several key Ministers, senior-level government officials, and a prominent delegation of business leaders, reflecting the growing depth of India-UAE partnership and their expanding strategic scope, the MEA said in a statement. On April 8, Prime Minister Modi will host a working lunch in honour of His Highness, providing a platform for high-level discussions on strengthening bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors, stated the press release.
In addition to his engagement with the Prime Minister, the Crown Prince will hold separate meetings with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Following engagements in the capital, he will visit Mumbai and participate in a business roundtable involving top Indian and Emirati business leaders. The roundtable will explore opportunities for increased trade and investment in both traditional sectors such as infrastructure and energy, as well as emerging fields like fintech, innovation, and sustainability.
The interaction is aimed at further accelerating economic cooperation and shaping a forward-looking commercial partnership between the two nations. Dubai has long served as a vital hub in India’s commercial and cultural exchanges with the UAE. The strong people-to-people ties are underpinned by the large Indian diaspora in the Emirates – estimated at 4.3 million – with a significant majority residing in Dubai. The visit is expected to add new momentum to the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and further enhance India’s institutional and grassroot-level ties with Dubai.
Formal diplomatic relations between India and the UAE were established in 1972. Since Prime Minister Modi’s landmark visit in 2015, the first by an Indian PM in over three decades, bilateral engagement has grown significantly.
The UAE hosts India’s largest overseas community, whose contributions are deeply respected and continue to strengthen the enduring bond between the two nations.
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