Dubai [UAE], July 14 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, currently on an official visit to the UAE as part of the MP Global Dialogue 2025, on Monday highlighted the state's efforts to boost religious tourism and attract global investment across key sectors including textiles, aviation, renewable energy, and mining.

Speaking about the religious significance of the Mahakal procession, the Chief Minister said, 'Baba Mahakal's procession is being taken out in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh and devotees eagerly wait for this time of the year. We (Madhya Pradesh government) have made new arrangements for Baba Mahakal's procession. The state government is committed to increasing religious tourism in the state.'

Yadav, who visited the textile city in Dubai, also spoke about the interest of Indian businessmen and global investors. 'I have arrived at the textile city in Dubai and a committee of Indian businessmen have taken land from the Dubai government and established a market here. The facilities here are very good. Investors in large numbers have expressed their desire to invest in Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh is moving forward in the field of textiles,' he said.

On the second day of his visit, the Chief Minister held one-on-one interactions with investors and discussed investment opportunities across sectors. 'Since this morning, we have been meeting with different people. First, we met the people from the embassy and had a discussion with them about how the Indian govt and the MP govt can do business with foreign nations in a simpler manner and what are the possible areas. We have mining and have various types of industry set ups. There is a huge potential for a food park, we have discussed it too. We allocated time for every business-related task; we also had several one-on-one discussions and interacted with many good investors,' he said while speaking to ANI.

He further emphasised the state's focus on civil aviation and emergency health services. 'We are also doing work on aviation in our state, and they (investors) are ready to support it with the guidance of the Indian government. Along with this, there are investment opportunities in different sectors which include energy sector, service sector, health and wellness and we have received some good suggestions as well. In the mining sector, which consists of gold mines, diamond mines, several types of cement industries and others in which investors showed their interest,' he added.

CM Yadav also held a meeting with UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, to discuss investment under the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and I2U2 collaboration.

In a post on X, Yadav stated, 'Today, on the second day of the Dubai visit, I met with the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, H.E. Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, and held extensive discussions on the immense investment opportunities in Madhya Pradesh under the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and I2U2 collaboration.'

'Madhya Pradesh offers a suitable industrial base, policy support, and necessary infrastructure for UAE investments in sectors such as EV, textiles, pharma, smart manufacturing, renewable energy, and food processing. Additionally, there are vast opportunities for partnership in areas like mineral resources, tourism, healthcare, 'plug and play' industrial parks, and air cargo. This multidimensional collaboration based on CEPA and I2U2 will elevate India-UAE relations to new heights and prove significant in realizing the vision of a 'Developed Madhya Pradesh',' he added.

Earlier in the day, Yadav held a high-level bilateral meeting with Chairman of the Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO), Mukesh Vora, where they reached a consensus on setting up the MP-JITO investment platform in Dubai to facilitate cooperation in advanced manufacturing, logistics, renewable energy, skill development, MSME promotion, and educational exchange.

According to a post by the MP Chief Minister's Office on X, 'Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, during his Dubai visit, held a high-level bilateral meeting with Mr. Mukesh Vora, Chairman of the JITO (Jain International Trade Organisation) group. The meeting extensively discussed the possibilities of investment and industrial cooperation in Madhya Pradesh. During this, consensus was reached on establishing the MP-JITO investment platform in Dubai, encouraging joint ventures in advanced manufacturing, logistics, and renewable energy sectors, as well as strengthening partnerships in the areas of skill development, MSME promotion, and educational exchange.'

Yadav also met with Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Emirates Airlines and the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, and Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations for West Asia and the Indian Ocean at Emirates. Discussions focused on promoting direct flight services from Tier-2 cities like Indore and Bhopal, developing a regional cargo hub in Central India, and exploring aviation training and MRO infrastructure.

The Chief Minister further held a meeting with Vinay Thadani, CEO and Director of Grew Energy Private Limited, regarding the 3.0 gigawatt solar cell project in Narmadapuram district, expected to generate over 700 jobs and position Madhya Pradesh as a leader in the sustainable energy sector.

'The investment dialogue of Madhya Pradesh in Dubai began this morning with various important meetings and discussions... Detailed discussions were held with the Consul General of India and Embassy officials, focusing on making business abroad smoother and more effective. Considering the potential in areas such as mineral resources, industrial infrastructure, and food processing parks, extensive dialogues took place with various business representatives,' Yadav said.

'One-on-one meetings were held regarding potential investments in air ambulance, civil aviation, and MRO sectors, which received positive responses from Dubai's industrial community. Additionally, meaningful suggestions emerged in the fields of wellness, healthcare, energy, and services. Investors showed keen interest in gold and diamond mining, as well as other mineral-based sectors, which will give a new direction to the state's development,' he added.

Yadav is scheduled to travel to Spain after concluding his visit to the UAE. The visit, from July 13 to 19, aims to bring global investment to Madhya Pradesh, encourage technology sharing, and create new job opportunities under the umbrella of 'Global Dialogue 2025.' (ANI)