Celebrating PM Modi's visit, Burj Khalifa lit up with Indian Tricolour

Dubai, Feb 14 (IANS) Sheathed in the hues of the Indian Tricolour, Dubai's iconic Burj Khalifa was lit up with the words ‘Guest of Honour – Republic of India’ ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's keynote address at the 2024 World Governments Summit scheduled to take place in the emirate on Wednesday.

Modi is on a two-day visit to the UAE, his seventh in ten years, to deepen bilateral relations and inaugurate the BAPS Mandir, the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi.

Taking to his X on Wednesday, the Prime Minister said that in his address he will strengthen conversations around building a better planet.

"It is an honour to be speaking at the @WorldGovSummit later today. I shall be elaborating on a wide range of subjects, which will strengthen the conversations around building a better planet," he said.

Extending a "warm welcome" to Modi, Dubai's Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum shared on X two images of the Burj Khalifa, lit up with colours of the Indian flag and logo of the World Governments Summit.

He said that the strong ties between the two nations serve as a model for international cooperation and that it is a "pleasure to have India as a distinguished guest" at the event.

"The @WorldGovSummit has evolved into one of the world’s leading platforms for sharing governance best practices, success stories and initiatives, and envisioning the future of government," he wrote in a post on X.

"It is a pleasure to have India as a distinguished guest at this international event, where it will showcase its innovations, initiatives and projects across diverse sectors that are a model for accelerating development for government service delivery," the Crown Prince said.

The Burj Khalifa was last lit up with the Indian Tricolour on India's 77th Independence Day on August 15, 2023 with the national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ playing in the background.

Upon landing in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, Modi said that being in the UAE made him "feel at home". He was greeted by the President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and was accorded the Guard of Honour.

He addressed a huge gathering of the Indian diaspora at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sports City Stadium and lauded their contributions in positioning India as a formidable economy and also helping foster friendly ties between the two nations. He also thanked the UAE Government for taking “good care” of nearly 3.5 million Indians in the Gulf nation.