Mohammad's India visit to open new era in bilateral ties

Dubai: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, begins a two-day official visit to India today, which is set to further strengthen bilateral ties.

Shaikh Mohammad is visiting India on the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation that will include Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Interior; Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman of Emirates Group; Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of Economy; several other ministers and senior officials, apart from top businessmen and a media delegation, WAM reported.

Surge in trade

A number of agreements are expected to be signed during the historic visit. C.M. Bhandari, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, said that during 2005-06, non-oil exports of India to the UAE stood at $8.6 billion, while non-oil exports of the UAE to India stood at $4.3 billion.