Live updates: Follow the latest news on Modi's visit to the UAE
India and the UAE have signed a pact to expand bilateral investment co-operation in digital infrastructure, with a focus on developing data centre projects in Asia’s third-largest economy.
The two countries signed the preliminary agreement in the presence of UAE’s President Sheikh Mohamed and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to the Emirates.
As part of the agreement, the two countries will jointly explore, assess and evaluate the technical and investment potential of developing data centre projects in India with an initial capacity of up to 2 gigawatts, the UAE’s Ministry of Investment said in a statement on Wednesday.
They will also focus on promoting investment in digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence, as well as supporting the development of a supercomputer cluster in India with a capacity of 8 exaflops (a measure of performance for a supercomputer) for use by government, public, private sectors and academia.
The agreement is “built on the strong historical relationship between our two countries, is reinforced by a shared vision to leverage technology for driving innovation, economic growth and societal development”, Mohamed Alsuwaidi, UAE’s Minister of Investment, said.
Data consumption has increased as remote work trends, largely prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic, have fuelled the adoption of cloud services and their associated data centres.
The data centre market size in India is expected to grow about 11 per cent annually between 2024 and 2032 to reach $11.6 billion, amid the rapid digital transformation of industries and the shift towards cloud-based solutions, according to the International Market Analysis Research and Consulting Group.
India is ranked among the top 15 countries for data centre capacity, with a network of 151 centres spread across its regions. The country’s internet economy is expected to reach $1 trillion by 2030, from $175 billion in 2022, according to the UAE’s Ministry of Investment.
“This growth is largely driven by the widespread preference for digital interactions among consumers and merchants in the country, which has a population exceeding one billion,” the ministry said.
“The trajectory is further accelerated by data localisation policies mandating the domestic storage of local data, as well as 'Digital India', an initiative launched by the government of India to ensure its services are electronically accessible to citizens.”
Separately, during Mr Modi's visit, AD Ports Group, the operator of industrial cities and free zones in Abu Dhabi, said on Wednesday that it had signed initial agreements with Gujarat Maritime Board and Rites, a multidisciplinary transport and infrastructure company, to boost trade and infrastructure development in India.
The agreement with Gujarat Maritime Board will include building new ports and the expansion and modernisation of existing port units, a statement from AD Ports said. The deal with Rites, a public sector company, is focused on exploring opportunities for port development as well as logistic parks, economic and free trade zones and rail connectivity projects.
India and the UAE signed additional deals during the visit, including a framework agreement on the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor, a preliminary agreement on co-operation in electricity interconnection and trade, and an agreement on interlinking their instant payment platforms – UPI in India and Aani in the UAE for cross-border transactions between the two countries, according to a statement from the Indian foreign ministry.
The two countries also signed a pact to link India's payment card RuPay with Jaywan in the UAE.
The new agreements come as India and the UAE continue to strengthen trade and investment ties.
India is the second largest trading partner of the UAE, while the Emirates has been the third largest trading partner for the Asian country since 2019.
They also signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement in 2022 to remove most trade barriers and boost non-oil trade.
As part of the objectives of the Cepa, the UAE and India hope to reach $100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030, from $85 billion in 2022.
MOTHER%20OF%20STRANGERS
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP
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SPECS
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Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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How to vote
Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm
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- Financial well-being incentives
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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In The Heights
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Stars: Anthony Ramos, Lin-Manual Miranda
Rating: ****
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Champion%20v%20Champion%20(PFL%20v%20Bellator)
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
3%20Body%20Problem
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Squad
Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas)
EXPATS
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Visa changes give families fresh hope
Foreign workers can sponsor family members based solely on their income
Male residents employed in the UAE can sponsor immediate family members, such as wife and children, subject to conditions that include a minimum salary of Dh 4,000 or Dh 3,000 plus accommodation.
Attested original marriage certificate, birth certificate of the child, ejari or rental contract, labour contract, salary certificate must be submitted to the government authorised typing centre to complete the sponsorship process
In Abu Dhabi, a woman can sponsor her husband and children if she holds a residence permit stating she is an engineer, teacher, doctor, nurse or any profession related to the medical sector and her monthly salary is at least Dh 10,000 or Dh 8,000 plus accommodation.
In Dubai, if a woman is not employed in the above categories she can get approval to sponsor her family if her monthly salary is more than Dh 10,000 and with a special permission from the Department of Naturalization and Residency Dubai.
To sponsor parents, a worker should earn Dh20,000 or Dh19,000 a month, plus a two-bedroom accommodation
Ipaf in numbers
Established: 2008
Prize money: $50,000 (Dh183,650) for winners and $10,000 for those on the shortlist.
Winning novels: 13
Shortlisted novels: 66
Longlisted novels: 111
Total number of novels submitted: 1,780
Novels translated internationally: 66