Dubai International Stadium yesterday hosted more than 30,000 people from the emirate’s Indian community who had gathered to see their country’s Prime Minister during his visit to the UAE.

The stadium at Dubai Sports City, accustomed to hosting huge crowds for international cricket matches and concerts, proved the ideal location for the special public reception event organised as part of Narendra Modi’s two-day tour.

Dubai International Stadium has hosted plenty of cricket matches, including eight Test matches, 17 ODI’s and 32 T20 games – the most T20’s hostted by a stadium anywhere in the world. However, until yesterday it had yet to welcome a governing Prime Minister.

Dubai Sports City President Khalid Al Zarooni said: As a venue, the Dubai International Stadium at Dubai Sports City is unrivalled. It is perfect for live cricket and live concerts, and the visit of Prime Minister Modi has proved what a great atmosphere is created whatever the occasion.

We are delighted that we’ve been able to provide a venue that has enabled a large proportion of the Indian community to see their Prime Minister and travel easily to and from.

The Indian community are no stranger to this stadium, and this event will only add to the memories that have been created here for them.

Modi’s trip is the first time a serving Indian Prime Minister has visited the UAE for 34 years. The last visit was made by Indira Gandhi in 1981.

With such a large number of his compatriots in attendance, the public reception at Dubai International Stadium was a highlight of Modi’s packed schedule during his two-day visit.

The Dubai International Stadium has a strong connection with India, having hosted seven of the Indian Premier League games during the 2014 competition, which was partly staged in the UAE.

H.E. Anurag Bhushan, Consul General of India in Dubai, said: Dubai International Stadium is absolutely fantastic with great facilities and it has the right infrastructure to support big events.

In fact, the stadium proved that it is capable of hosting any event of any calibre and any scale. It was a great experience working with Dubai Sports City management and staff who are highly professional and very experienced and dedicated.

The visit of Prime Minister Modi marks the beginning of a busy time for the Dubai International Stadium, which is due to host Pakistan and England as they battle it out during a lengthy Test Series, as well as T20 and ODI matches scheduled from October to November.