Dubai: The state of Kerala is a glittering jewel of south India and its Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is a mentor and guide, Reem Al Hashimi, UAE’s Minister of State for International Cooperation and Managing Director of Expo 2020 Dubai, said in a heartwarming speech that she delivered at the cultural event celebrating Kerala Week at Expo 2020 Dubai here tonight.
Speaking at the Jubilee Park shortly after the opening of the Kerala Week at India Pavilion by Vijayan, Al Hashimi said the UAE and Kerala are partners in good times and bad times. “The UAE and India and Dubai and the state of Kerala enjoy strong and valued relations at every single level — as government, as partners in trade and sustainable business growth, and as brothers and sisters — together through hard times and good times, through challenge and eventual inevitable triumph.”
She said the UAE is a proud and happy home to more than one million Keralites.
“We here in the UAE are as one with the glittering jewel of south India. We are blessed by the talents of her people, all of whom have contributed significantly, not just towards the development of this nation, but to the successful delivery of this Expo,” Al Hashimi said.
‘Understanding and future opportunity’
“Keralites are our friends and colleagues, our skilled professionals, our elders, to whom we turn for advise, and our young children who unfailingly surpass us in their pursuit of knowledge, understanding and future opportunity. We bear grateful witness to her outstanding natural beauty from palm-littered shorelines to lush green hills and soaring mountain peaks. And we are energised by the prospect of further shared partnerships and mutual growth.”
I am honoured and reminded about the interconnectedness between us as a people and the warmth of our embrace, as we share collectively a bright future Insha Allah, to all of you and Your Excellency, Chief Minister, welcome back home.
She further said: “Whether it’s food processing, or tourism, marine engineering, health care, logistics, this is the proven track record of Kerala’s established business community as we’re joined here by our colleague and brother Yusuff Ali,” she said, referring to MA Yusuff Ali, chairman, Lulu Group and vice-chairman, Non-Resident Keralites Affairs Department (Norka-Roots) who shared the stage.
‘Deeply honoured’
The minister said: “We recognise a vision and ambition and determination that is so close to our own leadership, a leadership which is committed to the ease of doing business as well as the health and happiness of all of our societies. On this stage, I am deeply honoured to share it with the Chief Minister who is a mentor and guide, the Ambassador [Sunjay Sudhir], the famous [Malayalam actor] Mammootty and brother Yusuff Ali. I am honoured and reminded about the interconnectedness between us as a people and the warmth of our embrace, as we share collectively a bright future Insha Allah, to all of you and Your Excellency, Chief Minister, welcome back home,” she concluded to a loud applause from a large crowd of Malayali expatriates from Kerala.
