UAE President welcomes Vladimir Putin

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday welcomed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin with an official reception ceremony at Abu Dhabi's Qasr Al Watan.

The national anthems of both countries were played during the reception and the Russian leader's convoy was accompanied by a procession of riders on Arabian horses.

The ceremony also featured a 21-gun artillery salute in honour of the visit and a flypast by the Al Fursan aerobatics team, trailing smoke in the colours of the Russian flag.

UAE Air Force planes earlier escorted the plane carrying Putin as it entered the UAE's airspace.