Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honoured with the Order of Zayed, the UAE’s highest civilian award, as a mark of appreciation for his efforts to boost bilateral ties between the two nations. The award has earlier been bestowed upon several world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Queen Elizabeth II, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“An incomparable honour reflecting our warm ties. PM @narendramodi conferred with the prestigious Order of Zayed by HH Crown Prince of UAE @MohamedBinZayed, the highest civilian honor of UAE for PM’s contribution in strengthening relations between India and UAE,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.
Modi thanked the UAE government for the honour and dedicated the award to the skills and abilities of 130 crore Indians. “I am humbled to get the Order of Zayed a while ago. This award is not for an individual but for the spirit of Indian culture and is dedicated to the skills and abilities of 130 crore Indians. I thank the Government of the United Arab Emirates for this honour,” he tweeted.
Ahead of Modi’s visit to the UAE, the MEA said in a statement that the award, in the name of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE, “acquires special significance as it was awarded to Prime Minister Modi in the year of the birth centenary of Sheikh Zayed”.
India and the UAE enjoy warm, close and multi-faceted relations underpinned by cultural, religious and economic linkages which, during the prime minister’s previous visit to the UAE in August 2015, stood elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership, it said.
