Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the “unprecedented heights” of India’s ties with the UAE during his visit to inaugurate the largest Hindu temple in the Middle East. The visit comes ahead of India’s national elections and focuses on galvanizing the Indian diaspora in the UAE, even though they cannot vote from abroad. Modi emphasized the strong economic ties between the two countries and expressed confidence in boosting India’s economy if re-elected. The UAE is home to about 3.5 million Indian nationals. Modi also signed several deals with the UAE government, including a framework agreement on a major trade and transport route. The UAE is India’s third-largest trading partner, with a bilateral trade volume of around $85 billion. The highlight of Modi’s visit was the inauguration of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Temple in Abu Dhabi, the region’s largest Hindu temple. This move is significant for Modi’s Hindu nationalist government and is seen as part of their broader narrative ahead of the upcoming Indian elections.
