Indian Prime Minister to address 60,000 people at Abu Dhabi Stadium

More than 60,000 Indians will gather at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Tuesday to listen to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi address the UAE expatriate community.

Organizers of the Ahlan Modi event said registrations to attend were now closed due to high demand.

Mr Modi will be in the UAE for two days and is expected to attend the World Government Summit in Dubai.

The Indian Prime Minister will also inaugurate the capital's first Hindu temple on Wednesday.

Stadium gates will open at noon on Tuesday and all participants must be seated by 4 p.m. The doors will close at 5 p.m. and Mr. Modi is expected to arrive after 6 p.m.

The following evening, Mr. Modi will inaugurate the Baps Hindu Temple after a morning prayer ceremony during which the place of worship will be consecrated and blessed.

He is expected to arrive at the Abu Dhabi temple at 5 p.m. and will take a tour of the site, after which he is expected to address people in an amphitheater within the temple complex.

Abu Dhabi Hindu temple prepares to open to public

Preparations are ramping up with more than 700 local artists set to entertain the crowds at the Abu Dhabi Stadium.

We want to make the cultural procession and stage show a true celebration of Indo-Emirati relations, said Dr Nishi Singh, communications director of the Ahlan Modi organizing committee. The National.

It will be a joyful event. We want the entire program to reflect the spirit of friendship between India and the UAE.

We need to come together and we wanted it to be a celebration akin to the Prime Minister's call and vision for India to become a vishwamitra. [friend of the world].

Hundreds of community groups from across the country have registered to participate in the February 13 event.

We have schools, colleges, blue-collar and women's groups coming in large numbers, said Dr Singh, a consultant virologist who has lived in the UAE for more than three decades.

The best thing is that the talents will all be local, we have over 700 artists for the cultural procession and stage performances, all artists and singers based in the UAE.

More than 1,500 volunteers from the UAE participated in the process of organizing and planning this large-scale gathering at the stadium.

Excitement building

Over the past month, artists have gathered in homes and schools to practice. There will be rehearsals at the Abu Dhabi Stadium this weekend.

Shilpa Nair, manager of the cultural event, described the growing enthusiasm within the Indian community. We are trying to make this evening magical for everyone, said Ms. Nair, who also led the program during Mr. Modis' visit in 2015.

Tens of thousands of people gathered at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium to see Mr Modi during his visit to the United Arab Emirates in August 2015, the first visit by an Indian prime minister to the Emirates in 34 years.

When he visited us in 2015, it was quite a celebration for us that a Prime Minister was visiting us after so long.

This time it is our tribute for what he has done all these years.

With the help of songs, dances and performances, we will highlight the cultural heritage of the two countries, the strong ties and the development that has occurred over the years.

Mr. Modis rallies around the world at which he addresses Indian expatriates often attract large numbers of people. The most recent took place in Sydney in May.

This visit comes against a backdrop of strengthening ties between countries, frequent visits by heads of state, senior ministers and the signing of major trade agreements.

Agreements have recently been signed to increase investment in the food processing, healthcare and renewable energy sectors.

Updated: February 12, 2024, 1:03 p.m.