PM Narendra Modi takes tour of Masdar City in Abu Dhabi

MASDAR: On the second day of his UAE visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today visited Masdar, a zero-carbon smart city and hub of science and technology innovations based on renewable energy.

During his nearly hour-long tour, the city authorities briefed the Prime Minister about various aspects of the Masdar City, situated around 17 kilometres southeast of the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi.

"Science is life," Modi digitally wrote in the visitors' book at Masdar City.

He took keen interest in various aspect of the city built on innovative scientific ideas.

"Discussing urban development and next generation urban spaces at Masdar City," he said in a tweet.

The Prime Minister also had a ride in a self-driving car, part of Masdar City's Private Rapid Transit or PRT. "We have heard about BRT. Masdar City has PRT or Private Rapid Transit," he said.

With India aiming to achieve 175 Gigawatts solar power capacity by 2022, Modi looked at the possibilities to utilise the energy efficient technologies in various spheres.

The Prime Minister also visited the Micro-Nano Fabrication Facility and the Microscopy Lab.

Modi took a brief walking tour of the city's public spaces and was briefed on the sustainable building methodology and key architectural elements.

The Prime Minister was greeted enthusiastically and repeatedly by residents and professionals in the city, which has a large number of people from the Indian community.

"Pondering the possibilities. PM @narendramodi discusses the future of urban innovation with Masdar City's architects," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in a tweet along with a picture of Modi's visit to the unique city.

Modi arrived here yesterday on a two-day visit, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 34 years.