UAE to open consulate in state within a year

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  The UAE government has decided to open a consulate in the State. The decision was announced by UAE ambassador Mohammad Sultan Abdalla Al Owais at an interactive meeting organised by the Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) here on Monday. He said that an official request and proposal in this regard have already been submitted to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. The consulate is likely to come up in Kochi, although the final decision regarding the exact location will be taken only after further discussions. ‘’We are still in the nascent stage of the proposal. We need to get the approval from the Central Government before more details regarding the project can be divulged. We have already expressed our interest to open a consulate with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. Hopefully, the consulate can be opened within a year,’’ Al Owais said. Hailing India as the third largest investor in the UAE, he exuded hope that the total bilateral trade between the two countries will touch $ 50 billion this financial year. ‘’In Kerala, we have invested more than ` 20 billion in the International Container Transshipment Terminal at Vallarpadom and another ` 17 billion will be invested by the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority(TECOM) in the proposed smart city at Kakkanad,’’ The UAE ambassador also said that his government had already sought the permission of the State and Central governments to increase the frequency and number of flights operating between the UAE and India. ‘’It is estimated that there are over 475 flights per week between India and the UAE from various destinations. Out of these, three UAE national airlines operate over 304 flights, which represents approximately 64 per cent of the total flights operated in this sector. Twenty-five per cent of the total flights operated by the UAE airlines are from Kerala. We would very much like to increase these figures in the near future,’’ he said.