Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for India to become a global power marks a shift in how the country’s top political leaders view its role in international politics. In Modi’s view, a leading power is basically a great one. However, India will only achieve this position if its economic foundations, governmental institutions, and military capabilities are truly strong. It will take a deliberate effort to achieve this summit.
On February 14, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak as the “guest of honour” at the World Government Summit (WGS) in Dubai. This is PM Modi’s second invitation to speak at the renowned conference; the previous was in 2018.
The World Government Summit (WGS) is an annual global event that brings together world leaders, politicians, academics, and thought leaders from diverse sectors to discuss and address critical global challenges.
The conference, which runs from February 12 to 14, has been a Dubai tradition since 2013, attracting delegates from governments, international organisations, academics, and the commercial sector. The news comes just a month after UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended the 10th Vibrant Gujarat edition as the chief guest in January.
UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed hailed PM Modi’s Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit as an important forum for economic growth and investment expertise sharing. In his address to the participants, he emphasised the importance of partnerships for prosperity.
The UAE president’s unusual public address at the conference displays his high esteem for India and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Previous WGS editions have featured important speakers such as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council, Kuwait, Indonesia, and Turkey. The attendance of international leaders emphasises the summit’s global significance.
Prime Minister Modi’s speech in Dubai is part of a larger tour to the UAE, during which he will also address the big diaspora event Ahlan (Hello) Modi in Abu Dhabi on February 13.
The Zayed Sports City Stadium will host this magnificent gathering, which is being billed as the largest diaspora event since Madison Square Garden in 2014. The UAE has a significant Indian diaspora of 3.5 million people, making it one of the world’s largest overseas Indian populations.
On February 14, Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the UAE’s first traditional stone temple, the BAPS Hindu Mandir, in Abu Dhabi. The Hindu temple represents the UAE’s spirit of openness and tolerance. The UAE government donated land for the temple in 2015.
The relationship between India and the UAE is built on three pillars: energy, with billions of dollars in oil trade from the UAE; economy, highlighted by the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which is expected, and the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT), which was approved by the Indian cabinet last week; and expatriates, with a significant 3.5 million-strong Indian diaspora contributing to the UAE’s socioeconomic fabric.
PM Modi’s next visit to the UAE will be his seventh since 2014. Previously, he travelled to the country twice in 2023, once in 2022, 2019, 2018, and 2015.