Breaking with established norms, Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally welcomed Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani at the New Delhi airport on Monday.

On his arrival, artists put on a glittering performance in honour of Qatar’s Emir. Al-Thani is on a two-day official visit to India (February 17-18), invited by PM Modi.

Referring to the Emir as “brother,” PM Modi shared on X, “Went to the airport to welcome my brother, Amir of Qatar H.H. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani. Wishing him a fruitful stay in India and looking forward to our meeting tomorrow.”

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was also present at the airport to welcome Al-Thani. Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called the visit a “special gesture for a special friend.”

Jaiswal added that the visit would further strengthen the bonds of India-Qatar partnership.

Al-Thani is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers, senior officials and a business delegation. This is Al-Thani’s second visit to India. His first was in March 2015.

Qatar’s Emir Al-Thani is scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu and also hold a meeting with PM Modi during his visit.

India and Qatar have strong economic ties. Qatar is a major supplier of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) to India, which is crucial for meeting India’s energy demands. India’s exports to Qatar include a variety of products such as rice, jewellery, machinery, and pharmaceuticals. The exports from Qatar to India include crude oil, chemicals and petrochemicals.

The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has made significant investments in various sectors in India, including infrastructure, energy, and technology.

Both India and Qatar are keen to diversify their trade basket and explore new areas of cooperation in sectors like renewable energy, fintech, startups, and technology are being identified as potential areas for future collaboration.

In October last year, the 5th India-Qatar Foreign Office Consultations held in Doha reaffirmed both nations’ commitment to enhancing their bilateral ties.

Indians comprise the largest expatriate community in Qatar with over 8,35,000 Indian nationals residing in the country as on December 2023. Indians are engaged in a wide spectrum of professions including medicine; engineering; education, finance, banking, business and media in the country.