evidence: Abu Dhabi has opened its first Hindu temple. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the BAPS Swaminarayan temple in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital on Wednesday (14 February) during his two-day visit to the Gulf nation. He also performed several rituals at the shrine. [...] Built in the Nagara style of architecture, the BAPS Hindu Mandir stands tall in the desert of Abu Mureikha. It is the first traditional hand-carved Hindu temple of the UAE constructed with 1.8 lakh cubic metres of sandstone brought from Rajasthan. [...] The Abu Dhabi BAPS temple offers Hindus in the UAE another place of worship. The Gulf nation has the largest Indian diaspora population, estimated to be nearly 3.5 million, followed by the United States (2.7 million) and Saudi Arabia (2.5 million). The Indian expatriate community is also the largest ethnic group in the UAE comprising nearly 30 per cent of its population.