New Delhi [India], April 8 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum here on Tuesday and said the special visit reaffirms deep-rooted friendship between the two countries and paves the way for even stronger collaboration in the future.

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, who is also Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of UAE, reached Delhi on Tuesday for a two-day visit to the country.

This is his first official visit to India as the Crown Prince of Dubai. He is accompanied by several ministers, senior government officials and a high-level business delegation.

'Glad to meet HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai. Dubai has played a key role in advancing the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This special visit reaffirms our deep-rooted friendship and paves the way for even stronger collaboration in the future,' PM Modi said in a post on X.

The Dubai Crown Prince said that UAE-India ties are driven by a shared vision to create a future full of opportunity, innovation, and lasting prosperity.

'It was a pleasure meeting the Prime Minister Narendra Modi today in New Delhi. Our conversations reaffirmed the strength of UAE-India ties which is built on trust, shaped by history, and driven by a shared vision to create a future full of opportunity, innovation, and lasting prosperity,' he said in a post on X.

The visiting leader was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour earlier in the day.

He was welcomed at the airport by Union Minister of State for Tourism and Petroleum and Natural Gas, Suresh Gopi.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi hosted a working lunch in honour of the visiting leader, providing an opportunity for dialogue on enhancing cooperation across a range of sectors.

The Crown Prince's itinerary also includes a visit to Mumbai, where he will take part in a business roundtable involving prominent Indian and Emirati business leaders. The roundtable is expected to explore avenues for expanding trade and investment in infrastructure, energy, fintech, sustainability, and innovation, with the goal of deepening commercial collaboration and reinforcing economic ties.

Dubai remains a vital conduit in India's cultural and commercial exchanges with the UAE, underpinned by a large and vibrant Indian diaspora. An estimated 4.3 million Indians live in the UAE, the majority of whom reside in Dubai. Formal diplomatic relations between India and the UAE were established in 1972, and the bilateral partnership has grown steadily, particularly since Prime Minister Modi's landmark 2015 visit to the Emirates. (ANI)