UAE

India is having a word with the UAE government, to bring mortals of two Indians who died in a tanker blast mishap, Abu Dhabi. On January 18, the Indian Embassy based in Abu Dhabi is in touch with the families of the victims, informed the Indian Embassy via Twitter. Reportedly, two Indian nationals were among three killed and six injured in explosions, confirmed Sunjay Sudhir, Indian Ambassador in UAE. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been postponed, said official government sources. PM Modi was scheduled to visit the UAE on January 6, 2022, to meet political leaders in the country. However, the business trip has been postponed, expectedly due to rising Omicron concerns. New dates for the visit is yet to be known. 

Piyush Goyal, the Union Minister for Commerce and Industrt, on December 18, assured that in 2021-2022, India will achieve USD 400 billion export target. Goyal further said, "The UAE will become a gateway for Indian trade to the Middle East and Africa and we may set up a huge mart to tap the market". Meanwhile, Talks on India-UAE Free Trade Agreement, with an investment of USD 100 billion in India, are underway, said Goyal. 

Dubai Shopping Festival's 27th edition "kickstarted" on December 15. The annual retail fair is a treat to the people, who will witness performances, exhibitions, light shows at Burj Khalifa and many other events in the next 45 days. The event was launched to boost local traders, which has now become an Internationally acclaimed retail fair at various shopping areas in Dubai. The grand event will continue till January 29, 2022.

The United Arab Emirates made a major change in its system by declaring its workweek from Monday to Friday, making it one of the few places in the middle east to follow Western hours. It'll come into effect from January 1, 2022. The country currently has a Sunday to Thursday working week. Besides, the government employees will work half-day on Friday, a traditional Muslim holy day in Islam.