"Our relation with the UAE is not just that of a buyer and a seller. It has become much more," Modi said in his speech in Hindi. He thanked the Gulf countries -- a home to nearly 3.3 million strong Indian diaspora -- for providing them "a home away from home".



Modi also witnessed through video-conferencing the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) temple on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway.

The ground-breaking ceremony of the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi was live-streamed to the Dubai Opera House. Modi thanked Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on behalf of 1.25 billion Indians for the construction of the temple.

"I believe this temple will not only be unique in terms of architecture and splendour, but will also give a message of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the world is one family) to people across the world," Modi said.

Wooing UAE businessmen to invest in India, Modi said India's leap in World Bank's ease of doing business rankings from 142 to 100 was "unprecedented, but we are not satisfied".

"We want to do better. We will do whatever it takes to make it possible," Modi said. This is Modi's second visit to the UAE after his trip in 2015.