These two countries go way back, like way way back…

January 26 marks India’s 68th Republic Day: this is when the Constitution of India came into force in 1950, completing the country’s transition into an independent republic.

It’s no secret that the UAE and India have a long history: with centuries of economic and cultural trade between them. In fact, relations between the two groups pre-date the countries themselves, going back at least 5,000 years. Plus, around 40 per cent of the UAE’s population is Indian – meaning the sub-continental country has been absolutely pivotal in the UAE’s rapid development.

To honour that, singers Nishita Charles from India and Adel Ebrahim from the UAE recorded a song together to commemorate the friendship between India and the UAE – a country which plays home to more than four million Indians.

In just 24 hours, the song Mile Sur has received more than half a million views on Facebook, with close to 5,000 shares.

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WHAT ARE THEY SAYING IN THE SONG?

If you’re not quite fluent in Hindi or Arabic, here’s a quick run-down of the song’s message.

Nishita Charles is singing: “this country/it is your own country/it is calling you/this is a bond that can never be broken.”

Adel is singing about how the song brings the people together, and how the relationship between the two parts strengthens the whole.

The music from this song is from Ye Jo Des Hai Tera and is from the iconic A.R. Rahman. The song was originally in the Shah Rukh Khan movie Swades – which sees SRK coming back to India after making it big overseas.

A SHOW AT THE BURJ

The world’s tallest building will be lit up in the colours of India’s flag to celebrate the occasion too.

The Burj Khalifa’s celebration will run at 6.15pm, 7.15pm and 8.15pm on Wednesday and Thursday, followed by a Dubai Fountain performance after every LED show.

SHEIKH MOHAMMED IN INDIA

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces has just arrived in India as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guest. Sheikh Mohammed will be the chief guest at this year’s Republic Day celebrations – marking his second visit to India in less than a year.

Back in August 2015, Modi paid a historic visit to the UAE, where the two countries agreed to strengthen ties in trade and investment, security and counter-terrorism.

“UAE-India relations enjoy a deep history that extends to hundreds of years before the founding of the UAE in 1971,” said Sheikh Mohammed.

“It [the UAE] views India as a linchpin of stability in Asia and a major partner in the global efforts towards stability, development and the battle against terrorism.”

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