UAE allots land for temple on Modi visit

Abu Dhabi, Aug 17 (IANS) The United Arab Emirates on Sunday decided to allot land for building a temple in Abu Dhabi for the Indian community, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on a two-day state visit.

"A long wait for the Indian community ends. On the occasion of PM’s visit, UAE Govt decides to allot land for building a temple in Abu Dhabi," tweeted external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup.

"PM @narendramodi thanks UAE leadership for this landmark decision," he said.

The UAE is home to 2.6 million Indian workers, of who around 20 percent are white-collar professionals. Indian expatriates comprise 30 percent of the UAE’s population and are the largest nationality group.