Bhubaneswar: Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi arrived in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, kicking off Odisha’s high-level investment outreach in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) aimed at attracting investments and forging long-term industrial partnerships.The chief minister is leading a delegation that includes industries minister Sampad Chandra Swain, chief secretary Anu Garg and senior officials from the industries department and IPICOL. The team will hold engagements in Abu Dhabi from Sept 9 to 11 before returning to India on Sept 12.The delegation was received by additional chief secretary (industries) Hemant Sharma, along with UAE-based officials, business representatives and members of the Indian embassy in the UAE. Soon after arriving, Majhi reviewed preparations for a series of investor meetings and business engagements scheduled over the next three days. He assessed arrangements for interactions with UAE-based investors, institutions and industry leaders, stressing the need for focused and result-oriented discussions, an official statement said.The chief minister also met India’s ambassador to the UAE Deepak Mittal and discussed the growing economic relationship between the two countries and opportunities to strengthen Odisha’s engagement with the Gulf nation.Majhi highlighted the importance of supporting the Odia diaspora living and working in the UAE and acknowledged their role in strengthening ties between Odisha and the region.The Abu Dhabi programme will see the Odisha delegation interact with leading UAE institutions, investors and business groups. The state govt aims to move beyond investment promotion and identify concrete opportunities for industrial partnerships, technology transfer and long-term participation in Odisha’s growth story.The outreach comes as Odisha seeks to accelerate industrialisation by leveraging its natural resources, port infrastructure, competitive power availability, skilled workforce and strategic access to domestic and international markets.“Odisha has entered a new phase of industrial growth, and our engagement with the UAE is an important part of this journey. We are coming here not only to invite investment, but to build long-term partnerships based on trust, technology, value creation and employment,” Majhi said.He added that the govt’s focus is on translating investor interest into projects on the ground, generating employment and strengthening Odisha’s position as a preferred destination for global businesses.On Wednesday, the delegation will hold meetings with International Holding Company (IHC) and its business verticals, Indian Business and Professional Group (IBPG), the UAE minister of investment Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi and other senior stakeholders. A sector-specific engagement on petrochemicals and chemicals is also scheduled.According to officials, the interactions will focus on investment opportunities, industrial collaboration, technology partnerships and ways to deepen economic ties between Odisha and the UAE.The UAE outreach is part of Odisha’s broader strategy to expand economic partnerships across the Middle East and North Africa region and convert investment interest into tangible outcomes for industrial growth and job creation.
