Indian Ambassador to the UAE, Pavan Kapoor, has stated that India has the largest air bubble arrangement with the UAE. In an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times, the Indian Ambassador to the UAE spoke about a wide range of issues such as bilateral ties and growing trade and commerce between the two countries. He also shared some details about India's Pavilion at the upcoming Dubai Expo 2020. At the same time, the Ambassador talked about how the UAE has emerged as one of the leading countries in the Arab region.

Speaking to the English daily, Ambassador Pavan Kapoor underlined the crucial played by the Indian mission in the UAE in repatriating stranded Indian nationals through the Vande Bharat mission last year in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Since the onset of the pandemic in the UAE in February 2020, the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate in Dubai faced the challenge of reaching out to a huge number of Indians who were affected by the pandemic and were under distress," he said.

The diplomat noted that the Embassy and the Consulate undertook various emergency measures to assist the affected Indian nationals in the UAE and provide them with all possible help during the pandemic circumstances. He highlighted that the Embassy launched emergency hotlines and dedicated 24x7 e-mails as well as coordinated with UAE authorities to provide quick redressal to affected people on various issues including COVID-19 testing, quarantine facility, ambulance service, and medical treatment.

He added that the Indian missions in the UAE also made necessary efforts to provide online medical counseling, food, and shelter aid to people in need. The Ambassador further noted that since the start of the repatriation flights from the UAE to India on May 7, 2020, more than 300,000 Indian nationals have been repatriated from various parts of the country in only three months. Currently, the number of repatriated Indian nationals has crossed over a million and a half.

"A large number of people who travelled to India have since also come back, especially after we entered into a bilateral ‘Air Bubble Arrangement’ with the UAE in July 2020, which is still ongoing and supporting the strong people-to-people exchanges between the two countries," Ambassador Kapoor added.

He said that the authorities are operating more than 300 flights every week between the two countries, which is significantly the largest of the 27 air bubble arrangements India has in place in the wake of COVID-19.

The Indian Ambassador hailed the strong support provided by the UAE government as well as Ministries of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), Civil Aviation, and Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation to facilitate successful efforts at repatriation and continuous exchange of people between the two countries.

The diplomat further underlined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Indian workers in the Gulf region, including the UAE. He praised the hard work, discipline, and law-abiding nature of Indian expats working in the UAE and other countries across the region.

Ambassador Kapoor asserted that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented changes to the traditional areas of cooperation of global diplomacy. In this regard, he noted that India's skilled workforce will be trained and prepared to adapt to such challenges in order to move towards new and emerging areas.

"We are hopeful that with the passage of time, the global economic situation will improve and provide opportunities for the return of Indian workers," the diplomat said.

He also stated that India and the UAE are working together to explore potential means to enable Indian workers and professionals to find employment opportunities in the UAE in the post-pandemic world.

"During the visit of the Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan in January, our Consulate in Dubai took the initiative to launch an ‘Upskilling & Training Centre’ for Indian workers in the UAE at the Delhi Public School, Jebel Ali, Dubai," he noted.

The Ambassador highlighted that the Consulate is also working with a number of state governments in India as well as local partners in the UAE to develop a model to impart necessary skill sets among Indian nationals to help them find appropriate jobs in the UAE.

Furthermore, he asserted that India has consistently supported efforts of peace, stability, and development in West Asia.

“India and UAE have a convergence of views on many regional and geopolitical issues. The leadership on both sides maintain close and frequent communication to brief and coordinate with each other on these developments," he said.

Talking about the historic Abraham Accords signed between the UAE and Israel on September 15, 2020, in Washington D.C., the diplomat called attention to India’s gains in perspective after the deal opened new markets for Israel in the UAE, Morocco, Bahrain, and Sudan. Ambassador Kapoor stated that India welcomed the signing of the Abraham Accords that resulted in the normalisation of diplomatic relations between the UAE and Israel.

"Both Israel and UAE are India’s strategic partners, and the signing of the Abraham Accords provides opportunities for all three countries to work closely in areas of mutual interest. I’m confident that the dynamic Indian entrepreneurs in the UAE will play an important role in exploring business opportunities between the two countries following the signing of the accords," he added.

A former Indian envoy to Israel, Mr. Pavan Kapoor assumed office as India's Ambassador to the UAE in October 2019.