PM Narendra Modi, who was warmly greeted by Indian community members, was pleasantly surprised to hear Saudi singer Hashim Abbas sing the patriotic song. Saudi singer Hashim Abbas performed a popular Hindi film number to greet Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he landed at his hotel on his two-day Saudi visit on Tuesday.
Modi, who was warmly welcomed by Indian community members, was delighted to hear Abbas’s version of Ae Watan. Modi, dressed in a traditional Arab dress known as a ‘kandoora,’ sang the patriotic song from the Meghna Gulzar director Raazi (2018) with passion. The film features Alia Bhatt, who essays an Indian spy wedded to a Pakistani army officer.
The Prime Minister participated with applause in the midst of loud cheers from the crowd at the lobby of the hotel. Posting the video, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju described the gesture as “more than diplomacy.” You know it’s more than diplomacy when “Ae Watan” is sung in Jeddah as Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi ji arrives. It’s emotion, it’s honor, it’s Bharat commanding global admiration,” he posted on X.
Earlier, Abbas said to PTI, “When I began singing, my friends informed me that someday I would sing before PM Modi. I didn’t believe them… I love India. It is a wonderful nation under the leadership of the great leader, PM Narendra Modi.”
This is PM’s third and Jeddah, his first in the historical port city, as a head of government. “Landed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Friendship between India and Saudi Arabia will grow stronger in this visit. Look forward to joining the multiple programs today and tomorrow,” he shared on X together with images.
