For both India and the UAE, last year was historic. The UAE had already begun preparations for its commemoration of the golden jubilee of its foundation on December 2 (the young Arabian nation was created in 1971); India had started celebrations for its 75th anniversary of independence, which culminated today (August 15).
India and the UAE are both commemorating 50 years of diplomatic ties this year. Despite not being planned that way, Expo 2020 Dubai was held between October 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022, which was a welcome surprise amid the yearlong festivities.
The bilateral ties continue to grow, and within a year, both countries will have reached significant historical milestones.
Here are a few lesser-known facts about the two countries, which are linked by a common past and present:
- Trade and business have been the foundation of the long-standing connections between the peoples of India and the UAE. The connections were made between 3300 and 1300 BCE, at the height of the magnificent Indus Valley Civilization. Additionally, throughout this time the marine trade between the two regions was thriving.
- Early in the 20th century, Bombay, now known as Mumbai, became the primary center for the commerce of pearls in the area. Between 1869 and 1968, the Trucial States, a group of six sheikhdoms on the southern coast of the Arabian Gulf that included Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain, came into existence. The Trucial States were ruled by the British and became the United Arab Emirates in 1971.
- Until 1973, when the Gulf Rupee was replaced by the Dirham in the United Arab Emirates, the two nations' currencies were identical. According to records, India was one of the first nations to establish diplomatic ties with the UAE in 1972, and the following year, it opened a mission there.
- This shared history between the two nations' peoples existed even before the United Arab Emirates was established. The Indian expatriate community in the UAE is estimated to number 3.5 million, making it the largest ethnic group in the country of the Arabian Gulf and making up about 30% of its population, according to International Migrant Stock 2020, which was published by the Population Division of the United Nations (UN) Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).
- Indians have lived in the UAE since even before the British colonial control ended in 1971, but their population grew after the UAE was founded. The big push came in the 1990s, as Dubai started to emerge as a major international trade center. Indian professionals were drawn to the emirate because of its tremendous infrastructure expansion.
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