Sharjah-bound Malayalis can get driving licence in Kerala soon

Thiruvananthapuram: Driving licenses valid in Sharjah to be issued in Kerala for those going to the UAE, an Arabic Study Centre in Kerala -- are among the recommendations accepted in principle by the visiting Supreme Council Member and ruler of Sharjah Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, said a joint communique issued by Sharjah and the Kerala government on Tuesday night. 

As a token of the state's appreciation for the visiting dignitary Kerala has decided to give land to construct the UAE Consulate, which is currently housed in a rented building in the capital city. 

Besides the above two proposals, the Sharjah government has also decided to consider very seriously the demand that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had put before him on Monday - to construct a family city and a Kerala cultural centre over 20 acres of land in Sharjah. 

Of the 20 acres, 10 acres would be to set up a family centre containing apartment blocks besides a state-of-the-art hospital. 

The proposed cultural centre would showcase various cultural aspects of Kerala and be a permanent venue for conducting cultural programmes and also an Ayurveda centre. 

In order to see that the initiatives become a reality, a joint high power committee of officials from Kerala and Sharjah will be soon set up. 

The Sharjah ruler, is in Kerala since Sunday, has held two rounds of meetings with Vijayan. On Monday night the state government hosted a dinner in his honour which was attended by the cream of the society. 

On Wednesday, he will be in Kochi to attend a private function being organised by the Middle East business honcho M.A. Yusuf Ali, and on Thursday he will leave for Jaipur. 

Indians in the UAE comprise the largest chunk of the population, at over two million and are mostly from Kerala and other south Indian states. Indian migrants form over 17 per cent of the total population of the UAE.