India, UAE demonstrated 'women-led development' can deliver more effective results: Murmu

New Delhi: India and the United Arab Emirates have demonstrated that “women-led development” can deliver more effective results for overall socio-economic development, President Droupadi Murmu said on Monday.

Her assertion came during a meeting she had with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan who had called on the President at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

She also praised the UAE leadership for ensuring the welfare, particularly the special care taken during the difficult times of the Covid pandemic, of more than 35 lakh Indian citizens in the West Asian country.

Murmu was also happy to note the high rate of participation and contribution of women in all aspects of Emirati society, a statement issued by the President's office said.

She said, "Both our countries have demonstrated that women-led development can deliver more effective results for overall socio-economic development".

The President expressed satisfaction that during the Crown Prince’s visit, "We have further expanded this partnership through several agreements in new areas of cooperation".

Murmu said people-to-people ties form the bedrock of this relationship, with more than 35 lakh Indian citizens residing in the UAE.

The President said, "Our historic yet forward-looking bilateral relationship has been transformed over the past decade", steered by the visionary leadership of both countries.

Murmu said she was pleased to be welcoming the third generation of UAE leadership to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, continuing a long tradition of high-level engagement that is in tune with India’s comprehensive strategic partnership with the UAE.

"Both leaders agreed that India and the UAE have societies with a syncretic and multicultural heritage, and that the path of peace, tolerance, and harmony shown by Mahatma Gandhi and H. H. Sheikh Zayed, are deeply imbibed in our national character," the statement added.