Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India] March 5 (ANI): Abdulnasser Alshaali, Ambassador of United Arab Emirates in India met Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu here on Wednesday and discussed potential investment opportunities in the state, an official statement by the Chief Minister's Office stated.

The Chief Minister invited the UAE to invest in key sectors including Tourism and Hospitality, Green Energy, Dairy, Food Processing and Data Storage, as per the statement.

Sukhu said that Himachal Pradesh offers unique investment opportunities as it has breathtaking landscapes including vast snow bound areas, hills and water bodies. To enhance tourism infrastructure, the State Government is developing multiple ropeways, expanding Kangra Airport, constructing new four-lane roads and heliports to improve connectivity to the visitors, which would make Himachal a favourite destination for investment.

As per the statement, Alshaali evinced keen interest to invest in the tourism sector, particularly adventure sports and skiing. He said that UAE has already identified potential locations for investment in the State and welcomed suggestions from the State Government for additional sites.

Sukhu said that Himachal Pradesh is on track to become the Green Energy State by next year. Over the last two years, the present State Government has taken significant steps to protect the environment of the State and harness the green energy.

These initiatives include setting up of new solar power projects, developing six green corridors and converting the entire state-owned diesel buses to e-buses in a phased manner.

He said that Himachal Pradesh has 25 percent of the hydro power generation potential of the country and has tremendous opportunities to invest in green energy including solar energy and pump storage projects.

Alshaali said that his country is already involved in the green energy sector in India and expressed interest in collaborating with the Himachal Pradesh Government on green energy projects. He also requested specific projects with the UAE for further coordination.

Sukhu said that Himachal Pradesh is leading in natural farming in the country and is also promoting dairy industries. He invited UAE firms to invest in food processing and cold storage facilities, smart city projects and modern urban planning in the towns of the State, the statement said.

Both of them agreed to accelerate progress in this direction and decided to appoint nodal officers to expedite the implementation of the projects. The Ambassador said that a technical team from the UAE would visit the State to assess the projects and facilitate further action. Following this, another meeting would be held between officers of both sides.

Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan, Principal Advisor (IT and Innovation) to Chief Minister Gokul Butail, Economic Affairs Specialist of UAE Rasheed Amiri, Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, Advisor Infrastructure Anil Kapil, Additional Chief Secretary RD Nazeem, Principal Secretary Devesh Kumar, Secretary to Chief Minister Rakesh Kanwar and other senior officers were also present on the occasion, the statement added. (ANI)