Dubai: Emiratis distinguished in various fields will be honoured by the Indian Business and Professional Council (IBPC) at a ceremony on Monday, the council president announced on Sunday.
Part of the 46th UAE National Day celebrations, the awards will be presented to the UAE citizens who have made telling contributions in their respective sectors as well as helping the relationship between India and the UAE grow.
“We usually honour Emiratis as well as distinguished members of the Indian community during India’s Republic Day celebrations, but this is the first time we are organising a special programme to celebrate the UAE National Day and exclusively honour 11 Emiratis,” said Bindu Suresh Chettur, President of IBPC during a press conference on Sunday that was also attended by Indian member of parliament, Professor Richard Hay and Indian Consul General Vipul.
Chettur added that the ceremony is a testimony to the growing friendship between the two countries.
“The relationship between the two countries are ever stronger and we at IBPC are taking several initiatives to foster the relationship further at the people to people level through cultural exchanges and roadshows. We have planned 16 roadshows in both countries to help people of the two counties come closer and promote investment,” she added.
Professor Hay, who is also a member of Indian Parliament’s standing committee for external affairs said that India-UAE relationship goes back for centuries and is beyond trade and investment.
“The relationship between the two countries have always been strong but over the last two years it has taken a new momentum, reflected by a visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UAE and culminated by Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan [Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces] visiting India for the Republic Day. We have now entered a strategic phase in our relationship which calls for promoting more people to people contact and cultural exchanges,” said Professor Hay.
The award ceremony will be held 6.30pm at the Le Meridien Hotel Dubai on Monday.
India is UAE’s biggest trade partner with the annual two-way trade between the two countries today stands at about $53 billion (Dh194.5 billion) and the leadership of the two countries is committed to increase it by 60 per cent over the next 5 years.
India and the UAE signed 14 agreements in January 2017 and the UAE is expected to invest $75 billion in India.
Indian community is the biggest and one of the oldest expatriate community in the UAE, with many well established businesses and long time residents.
