Gulf News says: India, UAE ties get a big boost.

(From Gulf News)

The visit to the UAE by Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam, his first foray abroad since taking over as head of state, is a pointer that some of the old shibboleths that defined the UAE's relations with India are falling by the wayside. The sub-continent's relations with the Gulf countries have until now been partly defined by its energy needs ; some 68 per cent of India's oil needs alone come from the Gulf.

The secondary impetus has come from the input of some three to four million Indians who make up the labour force in the Gulf states. While they boost economies at home and abroad with remittances of up to $7 billion a year, the character …