Sharjah: Pinarayi Vijayan, the chief minister of the South Indian state of Kerala, officially inaugurated the building of the new Sharjah Indian School on Thursday evening.
After touring the school building in Juwaisa area, Vijayan congratulated the Indian Association Sharjah for their efforts in offering affordable education to expatriate children.
The school will open admission for 6,000 students in the next academic year.
Vijayan is on his first official visit to the UAE after becoming the chief minister. He had paid a surprise visit to a labour accommodation in Al Quoz on Wednesday evening. He will be attending an award function organised by a Malayalam TV channel and a public reception in Dubai on Friday.
Hundreds of community members including women and children waited for about two hours to receive Vijayan at the school premises. He was accompanied by Indian leaders, diplomats, businessmen and association office-bearers.
Later he attended a large reception by the community members at Sharjah Expo Centre.
Vijayan’s visit is considered significant in view of increased cooperation between the UAE and the South Indian state. The UAE established a new consulate in Kerala earlier this year. An estimated one million Keralites live here.
Dr Rashid Al Leem, chairman of Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority; Ahmad Mohammad Hamas Al Midfa, former chairman of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and patron of Indian Association Sharjah and Sharjah Indian School; K. Muraleedharan, deputy Indian consul general; K. Muraleedharan, prominent political leader and member of the Kerala legislative assembly; Y.A. Rahim, president of the Indian Association Sharjah, and prominent Indian businessmen in the UAE M.A Yousfali and Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil were present at the public function at Sharjah Expo Centre.
Investment cell
Kerala will set up an exclusive cell to support investment from expats.
Speaking at a business meet in Dubai earlier on Thursday, Pinarayi Vijayan, chief minister of the state, also announced that a single-window system and online transactions for facilitating investments are also in the pipeline. Inviting expatriate investors to Kerala, Vijayan assured that his government will offer guarantee for investments in the state.
