‘Honor for entire India!’ Modi scores two state awards on Persian Gulf tour (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been honored with two prestigious state awards in a single day from monarchs in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

The day began with the bestowment of UAE’s highest civil honor award – the Order of Zayed – which Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan placed on Modi’s neck for playing a “pivotal role” in strengthening bilateral ties, which last year reached new heights. 

Humbly accepting the honor, Modi dedicated the recognition of his work to all 1.3 billion Indians, over three million of whom live in the UAE. The bilateral trade volume last year grew by 20 percent to $59.9 billion, while Indian exports to UAE grew by seven percent to over $30 billion, partly because of the UAE’s free-trade zones.

Continuing his Persian Gulf tour, Modi flew to Bahrain, becoming the first Indian prime minister to visit the kingdom. During a royal welcome from King Salman Al Khalifa, the Indian leader received yet another award to add to his collection – the Order of the Renaissance – which he dedicated to the entire nation of India.

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