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PM Modi’s scheduled visit to UAE postponed amid rising Omicron threat and surging COVID cases

It is not the first time the PM's visit has been postponed due to the Covid-19 crisis. PM Modi's visit to Portugal, France and UK was postponed earlier this year due to the Covid-19 crisis.

PM Modi's scheduled visit to UAE postponed amid rising Omicron threat and surging COVID cases-dnm
Author
New Delhi, First Published Dec 29, 2021, 5:15 PM IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been postponed amid rising global concern over the highly transmissible Omicron variant of coronavirus. The Prime Minister was scheduled to visit the Gulf nation on January 6, sources said and was supposed to be his first foreign trip in 2022.

It is not the first time the PM's visit has been postponed due to the Covid-19 crisis. PM Modi's visit to Portugal, France and UK was postponed earlier this year due to the Covid-19 crisis. Last year his visit to Brussels was postponed as coronavirus numbers increased.

The Prime Minister visited the Gulf nation in August 2019 to receive 'the Order of Zayed, UAE's highest civilian award. Earlier, in February 2018, he had visited UAE for the sixth World Government Summit in Dubai, where India was the guest of honour.

Over 3.3 million Indians working in the UAE have played a key in overall cultural and people-to-people ties between the two nations.

India has seen an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases with Delhi and Maharashtra reporting the maximum number of cases.

India has witnessed a surge in Covid-19 cases, with Delhi and Maharashtra reporting the maximum number of cases. A yellow alert came into effect in India's national capital on Tuesday, which means that all non-essential activities will be closed and a curfew being imposed from 10 pm to 5 am.

UAE has also seen an increase with over 1800 cases being reported recently even as mega Dubai expo faces closure as cases spike. Earlier reports had mentioned that PM Modi would visit the India Pavilion at the Dubai Expo.

Another key focus of the visit was supposed to be the signing of the India-UAE Free trade agreement. India and UAE have a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ and have seen increased engagement at every level.

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