PM’s address at the Ahlan Modi event in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Speaker: Narendra Modi
Date: 13 Feb, 2024

Namaskar! Today, you have made history in Abu Dhabi. You have come from different corners of the UAE and from different states of Bharat, but everyone’s hearts are connected. Every heartbeat in this historic stadium is saying — Long live Bharat-UAE friendship! Every breath is saying — Long live Bharat-UAE friendship! Every voice is saying — Long live Bharat-UAE friendship! We have to live this moment to the fullest. Today, we have to gather those memories that will stay with us for a lifetime — Memories that will also stay with me for a lifetime. My brothers and sisters, Today, I have come to meet the members of my family. Across the seas, I have brought the fragrance of the land where you were born. I have brought a message from your 1.4 billion Indian brothers and sisters… and the message is – Bharat is proud of you and you are the pride of the nation. Bharat is proud of you. भारतम् निंगड़ै-और्त् अभिमा-निक्कुन्नु !! उंगलई पार्त् भारतम् पेरुमई पड़गिरदु !! भारता निम्मा बग्गे हेम्मे पडु-त्तदे !! मी पइ भारतदेशम् गर्विस्तोन्दी !! This beautiful picture of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’, your enthusiasm and voice, is reaching beyond the skies of Abu Dhabi today. This affection and blessing is overwhelming for me. I am very grateful that you took your time to come here. Friends, Today, the Minister of Tolerance, His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan, is also present amongst us. He is a good friend and well-wisher of the Indian community. His affection towards the Indian community is commendable. Today, I also express my gratitude to my brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, for this magnificent event. This enthusiastic celebration would not have been possible without his support. His personal touch, his sense of belonging towards me, is my greatest asset. I remember my first trip in 2015. I had not been in the power at the Centre for a long time. That was the first UAE trip of any Indian PM after three decades. The world of diplomacy was also new to me. At that time, the Crown Prince and the current President came to the airport to welcome me along with their five brothers. I can never forget their enthusiasm, the sparkle in their eyes. In that first meeting, it felt like I had come to the home of a loved one. They were also honouring me like a family member. But friends, that honour was not just mine. That honour, that reception, belonged to 1.4 billion Indians. That honour belonged to every Indian living in the UAE. Friends, That was the day, and today is this day. This is my 7th trip to the UAE in 10 years. Brother Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed came to receive me at the airport today as well. His enthusiasm was the same, his affinity was the same, and this is what makes him very special. Friends, I am happy that we also got the opportunity to welcome him to Bharat four times. Just a few days ago, he visited Gujarat. At that time, lakhs of people gathered on both sides of the road to express their gratitude. Do you know why they were expressing this gratitude? This gratitude was because the way he takes care of all of you in the UAE, the way he cares about your interests, it’s rare to see. That’s why all those people came out of their homes to express their appreciation for him. Friends, It is also my privilege that the UAE has honoured me with its Highest Civilian Award — The Order of Zayed. This honour is not just mine, but this honour is of millions of Indians, all of you. Whenever I meet my brother, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, he praises all Indian nationals very much. He appreciates your role in the development of the UAE. Even this Zayed Stadium carries the essence of Indian sweat. I am happy that our Emirati friends have given Indians a place in their hearts and have made them partners in their happiness and sorrow. Over time, this relationship is getting stronger day by day, and Brother Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed has played a significant role in this. I saw his empathy towards you during COVID. At that time, I told him that we are arranging to bring back Indians. But he told me not to worry at all. He made all arrangements for the treatment of Indians here, including vaccination. With him here, I didn’t have to worry at all. I experience his boundless love for all of you every moment. And not only that, when I proposed the idea of building a temple here in Abu Dhabi on behalf of all of you in 2015, he immediately said yes without wasting a moment. He even said — “I will give you the land where you draw the line.” And now the historic time for the inauguration of this magnificent temple in Abu Dhabi has come. Friends, The friendship between Bharat and the UAE is reaching unprecedented heights both on the ground and in space. On behalf of Bharat, I congratulate Sultan Al Neyadi, the first Emirati astronaut, to spend 6 months on the International Space Station. I also thank him for sending greetings to Bharat from space on International Yoga Day and Independence Day. Friends, The relationship between Bharat and the UAE is reaching unprecedented heights in this third decade of the 21st century. We are partners in each other’s progress. Our relationship is based on talent, innovation, and culture. In recent times, we have injected new energy into our relationship in every direction. We have moved forward together, hand in hand. Today, the UAE is Bharat’s third-largest trading partner. Today, the UAE is Bharat’s seventh-largest investor. Both our countries are cooperating significantly in ease of living and ease of doing business. The agreements that we have signed today are furthering this commitment. We are also integrating our financial systems. The partnership between Bharat and the UAE is also growing stronger continuously in the field of technology and innovation. Friends, What Bharat and the UAE have achieved in terms of community and cultural relations is a model for the world. I also want to tell my Emirati friends how close both countries are in the field of languages. I am attempting to speak a few sentences in Arabic – “अल हिंद वल इमारात, बी-कलम अल ज़मान, वल किताब अद्दुनिया. नक्तुबु, हिसाब ली मुस्तकबल अफ़दल. व सदाका बयिना, अल हिंद वल इमारात हिया, सरवतना अल मुश्तरका. फ़िल हक़ीका, नहनु, फ़ी बीदएया, साईदा ली मुस्तकबल जईईदा !!! I have tried to speak in Arabic. I apologize to my UAE friends if there are any mistakes in my pronunciation. And for those who didn’t understand what I said, I am also explaining its meaning. What I said in Arabic means – Bharat and the UAE are writing a better destiny on the book of the world with the pen of time. The friendship between Bharat and the UAE is our shared wealth. In reality, we are beginning a better future. Now think about it — how easily the words like ‘kalam’ (pen), ‘kitab’ (book), ‘duniya’ (world), ‘hisab’ (account), ‘zameen’ (land) are spoken in Bharat. And how did these words reach there? From this Gulf region! The relationship between our two countries spans hundreds and thousands of years. And Bharat hopes that this relationship continues to flourish day by day. Friends, I have been told that there are hundreds of students present in the stadium right now. Currently, there are more than 1.25 lakh students studying in Indian schools in the UAE. These young friends are going to become partners in the prosperity of Bharat and the UAE. With the support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the master’s course at IIT Delhi’s Abu Dhabi campus was inaugurated last month. The office of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in Dubai is also going to open soon. I believe these institutions will help provide the best education to the Indian community here. Friends, Today, the goal of every Indian is to make Bharat a developed nation by 2047. Which is the country whose economy is growing rapidly? It’s our Bharat! Which is the country that consumes the most smartphone data? It’s our Bharat! Which is the country with the highest global fintech adoption rate? It’s our Bharat! Which is the country with the highest milk production? It’s our Bharat! Which is the country ranked second in terms of internet users? It’s our Bharat! Which is the country that is the world’s second-largest mobile manufacturer? It’s our Bharat! Which is the country with the third-largest start-up ecosystem in the world? It’s our Bharat! Which is the country that reached Mars on its first attempt? It’s our Bharat! Which is the country that planted its flag on the South Pole of the moon? It’s our Bharat! Which is the country setting a record by sending hundreds of satellites in one go? It’s our Bharat! Which is the country that developed 5G technology on its own and rolled it out the fastest? It’s our Bharat! Friends, The achievements of Bharat are the achievements of every Indian. In just 10 years, Bharat has transitioned from being the world’s eleventh-largest economy to the fifth-largest economy. And you know, I have immense confidence in the capabilities of every Indian. It is on the basis of this confidence that Modi has also given a guarantee. Do you know Modi’s guarantee? Modi has guaranteed to make Bharat the third-largest economy in his third term. And Modi’s guarantee means a guarantee of fulfilment. Our government is continuously working to improve the standard of living of the people, to reduce their problems. We have provided pucca houses to more than four crore families. We have provided water connections to more than 10 crore families. We have connected more than 50 crore people to the banking system. We have provided free medical treatment of up to 500,000 rupees to more than 50 crore people. We have built more than 1.5 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs to ensure that people in rural areas have no problem getting treatment. Friends, Those of you who have visited Bharat recently know how rapidly Bharat is changing these days. Today, Bharat is building modern expressways. Today, Bharat is constructing new airports. Today, Bharat is building modern railway stations. Today, Bharat’s identity is being shaped by new ideas, new innovations. Today, Bharat is identified by mega infrastructure projects. Today, Bharat’s identity is evolving as a vibrant tourism destination. Today, Bharat’s identity is being established as a major sports power. And hearing all this fills you with pride, doesn’t it? Friends, You are all familiar with the digital revolution happening in Bharat. The praise for Digital India is resonating worldwide. We are striving to ensure that all our colleagues based in the UAE also benefit from it. We have shared our RuPay card stack with the UAE. This has helped the UAE in developing its domestic card system. And do you know what name the UAE has given to the card system developed with the support of Bharat? UAE has named it “Jeevan”. What a beautiful name UAE has given!!! Friends, Soon, UPI will also be launched in the UAE. This will enable seamless payments between UAE and Indian accounts. With this, you will be able to send money to your family members in Bharat more easily. Friends, Bharat’s growing capabilities have instilled hope for stability and prosperity in the world. The world believes that Bharat can play an active role in establishing a reliable global order. I am delighted that today Bharat and the UAE are strengthening this trust together. You all have also seen that Bharat has successfully hosted G20 summit. We also invited the UAE as a partner in this summit. Such efforts are also taking our strategic partnership to new heights. Today, the world sees Bharat as a ‘Vishwa Bandhu’ (global friend). Today, Bharat’s voice is heard on every major platform in the world. Whenever a crisis arises, Bharat’s name is among the first countries to reach out. Today’s strong Bharat stands shoulder to shoulder with its people at every step. Over the past 10 years, you have seen that the Indian government acted swiftly whenever Indians living abroad faced problems. We safely evacuated thousands of stranded Indians and brought them back to Bharat during crises in Ukraine, Sudan, Yemen, and elsewhere. The government is working day and night to help Indians living in different parts of the world. Friends, Bharat and the UAE are together scripting a new history for the 21st century. And all of you, my friends, are a significant foundation of this history. The hard work you are putting in here is also energizing Bharat. Keep strengthening the development and friendship between Bharat and the UAE. With this belief, I thank you all for this grand welcome once again! Say with me: Bharat Mata ki—Jai! Bharat Mata ki—Jai! Bharat Mata ki—Jai! There is much distance between you and me, so I am coming to see you. But my request to you is to stay where you are so that I can meet you properly. So, will you help me? Bharat Mata ki—Jai! Bharat Mata ki—Jai! Thank you very much.