Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Sunday on an official two-day visit.

"I deeply appreciate the kind gesture of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed A- Nahyan, who received me at the airport," Modi said through his social media account.

Modi's visit marks the first of an Indian head of government to the UAE in 34 years since Indira Gandhi met with former UAE president and the Gulf state's founding father Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan in 1981 in Abu Dhabi.

The Indian prime minister will meet Abu Dhabi crown prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and UAE vice president, prime minister and ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, along with members of the UAE government.

About 2.6 million Indians live in the Gulf state. Around 45,000 Indian firms operate in the UAE.