Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan begins UAE visit; diaspora outreach comes ahead of state elections

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has arrived in Abu Dhabi on a two-day visit, marking the first leg of his two-part tour to the UAE aimed at strengthening ties with the large Malayali expat community.

Vijayan was received at the Al Bateen Executive Airport by India’s new Ambassador to the UAE, Dr Deepak Mittal. Lulu Group International Chairman and Managing Director M.A. Yusuff Ali, along with representatives of several Kerala expat associations, was also present at the airport to welcome the delegation.

The Chief Minister is accompanied by Saji Cherian, Kerala’s Minister for Fisheries, Culture and Youth Affairs, Chief Secretary A. Jayathilak, and other senior officials. His visit follows the Indian government’s approval for his wider Gulf tour – part of a broader outreach to engage Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) and attract Gulf-based investment to the state.

On Saturday evening (November 8), Vijayan will attend the 25^th anniversary celebrations of Kerala-based Kairali TV at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island. The high-profile cultural event is expected to draw prominent Malayalam film personalities and community leaders, with Malayalam superstar Mammootty among the guests of honour.

The following day, Sunday (November 9), Vijayan will be the chief guest at a grand public reception hosted by the Abu Dhabi-based Kerala Social Centre at the Abu Dhabi City Golf Club, where he will address expats about Kerala’s development priorities and welfare programmes.

A second UAE visit is scheduled for the first week of December, during which the Chief Minister will travel to Dubai and the Northern Emirates to meet business leaders, community representatives, and investors.

Officials said the trip aims to reinforce Kerala’s image as a welfare-driven and investment-friendly state, and to explore cooperation in tourism, technology, and youth development. The Indian expatriate community is the largest in the UAE, with a majority hailing from Kerala. Remittances from the region continue to play a crucial role in the state’s economy.

The visit comes at a politically sensitive time. Kerala is in a poll mood as it heads towards local body elections and the next Legislative Assembly polls, due before May 2026. Vijayan’s Left Democratic Front (LDF) is seeking a third consecutive term.

The state government has recently announced a series of welfare and infrastructure initiatives, moves widely seen as part of its pre-poll outreach. The Gulf visit, with its focus on diaspora engagement and investment promotion, adds a strategic international dimension to the Chief Minister’s efforts to project Kerala’s growth and welfare model ahead of the elections.