This is the first time in three decades that an Indian Prime Minister is visiting the UAE.
A country that is one of the major trading partners and one which provides employment to over 2 million Indians who send home about 5 billion USD annually, and none of our shameless ex-PMs had the courtesy to pay a state visit there.
The same with Saudi Arabia, which employs over three million Indians and is one of our major suppliers of oil. Our government did not even have the courtesy to send a high ranking official like the President or Prime minister when King Fahd died. India was represented by a junior minister at his funeral, while a country like the US sent its vice president, Dick Cheney.
I hate the way India's idiot government has been bending backwards to please the West, while conveniently ignoring or dishing out step-motherly treatment to Arab Countries, which are strategically and economically much more important to India than the likes of German or France will ever be.
It is good that Modi is reaching out to them. I hope he also visits Saudi and Iran soon.