PM holds roadshow with UAE Prez ahead of ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ summit

New Delhi; Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a three-km-long roadshow from Ahmedabad airport on Tuesday evening, a day ahead of the Tenth Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS) in Gandhinagar.

Much like his earlier roadshows in the city with foreign dignitaries such as late Shinzo Abe in 2017, the two leaders travelled together as people lined a part of the route where cultural performances were also held on specially erected stages. The UAE has deep-pocketed government-controlled funds that are increasingly investing in India.

PM Modi was present at the airport to welcome Sheikh Mohamed after which the two leaders began their roadshow. The Presidents of Mozambique Filipe Jacinto Nyusi and Timor Leste Jose Ramos-Horta had by then arrived in Ahmedabad and held bilaterals with PM Modi.

The bilaterals were followed by a meeting with four CEOs of top global corporations who have especially arrived to attend the Vibrant Gujarat summit. Of them, three—Suzuki Motor’s Toshihiro Suzuki, DP World’s Ahmed bin Sulayem and Micron Technology’s Sanjay Mehrotra—have announced investment plans in Gujarat. The other, AP Moeller-Maersk too has major operations in the state. The PM discussed green hydrogen and the development of logistics infrastructure with them, said an official release.