Dubai: A major component to the UAE’s success story is the contribution of the Indian community in its development, said a former UAE diplomat.
“There are three pillars to the [UAE’s] success, and the Indian community is one of them,” said Mirza Hussain Al Sayegh, who not only served as first deputy ambassador in New Delhi in 1973, but was also head of the UAE Consular Mission at Mumbai from 1974-1976.
Al Sayegh’s views reiterate the enduring strength of ties the UAE and India have shared for over a century and the visit of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to India that begins tomorrow is another milestone in this mutual journey of goodwill and cooperation between the two countries.
Shaikh Mohammad’s three-day visit, along with a delegation of ministers, government officials, economists, and business executives, comes after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to UAE last August and will address economic and strategic issues of mutual interest, including their stand on combating anti-terrorism, with at least 16 trade agreements likely to be signed.
In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, Al Sayegh recalled a memorable moment from his diplomatic service when he was approached by an Indian diplomat who wanted to know the secret behind UAE’s success.
“I told the man that the secret was right behind him [referring to the large presence of Indians standing behind him at the venue]. The relationship between the UAE and India goes back 116 years, and whether it came from trade, medical doctors, or from schools and lawyers, the secret lies in the people who helped build the country, hand-in-hand with the ruling families,” Al Sayegh said.
Al Sayegh said that since the time of Shaikh Maktoum Bin Hasher in 1894, and up to the present day, the ruling families have over the years built a credible, stable, reliable relationship with India.
“The people relied on India because it was the source of supplies, and also the main trade route for merchants, whether it be for foodstuffs or medicine. And vice versa. Emiratis would also use the trade route to sell their dates and pearls,” he said.
He emphasised that it was after Indira Gandhi’s visit to the country in 1981 when the relationship between the UAE and India was bolstered and reached new heights.
Gandhi was the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the UAE, and Al Sayegh noted that her visit had a significant impact on the country, particularly during the 1980s when the relationship with India’s culture, industry, trade and diplomatic missions started to grow.
“I cherish the relationship the two countries enjoy with each other, and since [current] Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit last year [to the UAE], the relationship has gone from strength to strength,” he said.
“The ruling families, the citizens and the people of India are the three pillars that have made the UAE what it is today. We look at India as our big brother,” he said.
