Highlighting his government's cutting-edge initiatives, such as a unified ID system linked to mobile phones and bank accounts, Modi appeared right at home in the tech-obsessed emirate. "We missed the industrial revolution, but we joined the digital revolution," he said.
But ties are also inextricably linked to the oil-based economy. On Saturday, Modi oversaw the awarding of a 10 percent stake in an Abu Dhabi offshore concession to a consortium of Indian oil firms - a first according to UAE state media. "We have progressed from a buyer and seller relationship to an era of mutual investments in the oil and gas sector," Modi said, cited by the state news agency WAM.
The Indian leader also unveiled a model of what will be the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, calling it a "testament to tolerance" in the Muslim Gulf nation.
It is also a testament to the importance of the Indian diaspora, which counts a mammoth blue collar labour force as well as professionals among its ranks.