New Delhi, March 11 (IANS) India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Thursday held wide-ranging talks that focused on expanding counter-terror cooperation and taking economic ties to new heights.

UAE's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum arrived here on a visit lasting a few hours.

Al Maktoum, also vice-president of UAE and the ruler of Dubai, was received warmly at the airport by Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor.

He met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and held wide-ranging talks that focused on scaling up economic and strategic ties to new heights, official sources told IANS.

The two leaders reviewed an entire spectrum of bilateral relations.

Expanding security and counter-terror cooperation figured prominently in the discussions, with both sides agreeing to intelligence sharing and proactive steps to combat financing of terrorists, the sources said.

The discussions aimed at taking bilateral ties to a new orbit, the sources said.

The two sides discussed increased collaboration in banking, finance, trade and investments and infrastructure sector.

Al Maktoum was accompanied by Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Department and chairman of the Emirates Airlines and Mohammed Sultan al Owais, UAE Ambassador to India, Emirates official news agency WAM said.

Bilateral trade is growing and is expected to exceed $25 billion soon.