Prime Minister Modi welcomed the President of UAE: presented Kashmiri saffron, hammock and pashmina shawl to Al Nahyan

New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday presented a carved wooden swing and a pashmina shawl belonging to his home state Gujarat to United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The officers provided this information. PM Modi welcomed Al Nahyan and his mother Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Katbi at his residence on Lok Kalyan Marg here.

PM Modi and Al Nahyan sat on a traditional and hand-carved wooden swing placed in front of a wall decorated with marigold flowers at the Prime Minister’s Residence. Carved wooden swings are an integral part of the homes of most Gujarati families. “In Gujarati culture, the swing is a symbol of unity, dialogue and bonding between generations,” officials said. “This gift also deeply resonates with the UAE declaring 2026 as the ‘Year of the Family’.”

Modi presented Al Nahyan a pashmina shawl from Kashmir in an ornate silver box made in Telangana, which symbolizes India’s rich handloom and handicraft tradition. Modi also presented a pashmina shawl in a silver box to Al Nahyan’s mother. Al Nahyan’s mother was also presented with Kashmiri saffron in a silver box, officials said. Saffron grown in Kashmir Valley is famous for its deep red color and aroma.

This few hours visit of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India is being considered very important in terms of trade and diplomatic relations between the two countries. This visit is taking place at a time when there is immense turmoil in global politics. On one hand, America has tensions with China and Russia regarding Venezuela and Greenland, while the situation in Iran remains very serious. Apart from this, news of tension between UAE and Saudi Arabia is also coming to the fore. In such an environment, this meeting of the top leadership of India and UAE holds special importance.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, bilateral trade between India and UAE has crossed the $100.06 billion mark in the financial year 2024-25, showing a significant growth of 19.6 percent. With this achievement, the UAE becomes stronger among India’s major trading partners.

It is noteworthy that relations between India and UAE have continuously strengthened in the last few years. Both the countries have taken cooperation to new heights in many areas including energy, trade, investment, defense and technology. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been awarded the country’s highest civilian honor ‘Order of Zayed’ by the UAE in the year 2019, which is a symbol of the close relations between the two countries.