The force awakens
Indrani Bagchi Fun fact: Star Wars – The Force Awakens, shot a large part of the film in the desert landscape of the UAE. But the futuristic sets of the latest George Lucas creation were created by Bollywood for an Abu Dhabi company. Gulf Arabs ideally want the marriage of Bollywood and Hollywood on their sands. On the geopolitical level, they say they have been waiting for India to claim its space in the region for years, a space that continues to be dominated by the US. But the sands are shifting, compelling India to look west in a way it hadn’t done before. As the Crown Prince of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan takes the spotlight as chief guest for Republic Day, the journey that began with the visit of late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in 2006 moves to the next level. Investment and economic opportunity are strong attractions – India is looking at over $60 billion in investment interests by the third largest economy in the Gulf region. This time they are pri...