PM Narendra Modi`s UAE visit postponed amid Omicron scare

M Modi was scheduled to visit the UAE on January 6 and was expected to meet the top leadership of the UAE during the proposed visit.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was scheduled to visit United Arab Emirates (UAE) in January, has been postponed, sources said on Wednesday. According to the sources, PM Modi was scheduled to visit the UAE on January 6 and was expected to meet the top leadership of the UAE there. 

 The visit has been postponed amid global concerns about increasing Covid and Omicron cases. Not for the first time, the PM's visit has been postponed due to Covid crisis. Earlier this year, the virus had forced Modi's visit to Portugal, France and UK to be postponed. Last year, his visit to Brussels was postponed as Covid numbers increased.

India has seen increase in number of cases, with Delhi and Maharashtra reporting the maximum number of cases. A yellow alert came into effect in India's national capital on Tuesday, which means thar all non-essential activities will be closed and a curfew being imposed from 10 pm to 5 am. UAE has also seen an increase with over 1800 cases being reported recently even as mega Dubai expo faces closure as cases spike. Earlier reports had mentioned that PM Modi would visit the India Pavillion at the Dubai Expo. Another key focus of the visit was supposed to be the signing of the India-UAE Free trade agreement. 

India and UAE have a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ and have seen increased engagement at every level.  PM Modi had visited the West Asian country in 2015, 2018 and 2019. UAE has conferred the highest civilian award 'the Order of Zayed’ on the PM. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, (MBZ) Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces, visited India in from February 2016. MBZ visited India again in January, 2017 as the Chief Guest at India’s Republic day celebrations.

UAE houses one of the largest populations of Indians outside of India. Indian expatriate community of approx. Around 3.3 million is the largest ethnic community in UAE constituting roughly about 30 per cent of the country’s population. Among the Indian States, Kerala is the most represented followed by Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.  Indians from the Northern States also form a significant portion of the UAE Indian population.

PM Modi was however not supposed to visit Kuwait during his UAE trip. The last high-level visit from India to the country was by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar in June of this year. During the visit EAM called on the Prime Minister of Kuwait and held a meeting with the Foreign Minister of Kuwait. The last prime ministerial visit from India to Kuwait was by PM Indira Gandhi in 1981.