Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s ambitious Gulf tour is set to take off tomorrow, but without the Saudi Arabia leg, after the Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) declined permission for the visit. The MEA, however, approved his travel to other Gulf nations, where he is scheduled to attend several public and expatriate outreach events.
Alongside the Chief Minister, Minister Saji Cherian and Personal Assistant V.M. Suneesh have been cleared to travel.
The Chief Minister’s 25-day foreign tour will run from October 15 to November 9, beginning in Bahrain. On October 16, he is expected to address expatriates at the Bahrain Kerala Samajam, highlighting the Left government’s welfare measures for Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) and its new initiatives through NORKA and the Malayalam Mission.
Originally, Vijayan planned to travel from Bahrain to Saudi Arabia by road. However, with the Saudi visit now off the itinerary, he will return to Kochi on October 16 before resuming his tour.
The next stops include Muscat on October 22, a public event in Oman on October 24, and another engagement in Salalah on October 25. He will then head back to Kochi on October 26 and proceed to Qatar on October 28.
After attending an event in Qatar on October 30, the Chief Minister will return briefly to Thiruvananthapuram, later flying to Kuwait on November 5, followed by Abu Dhabi, where he will stay for five days and participate in multiple community programmes.
Notably, the Chief Minister’s son, Vivek Kiran, works in Abu Dhabi, where Vijayan is expected to conclude his Gulf outreach tour aimed at strengthening ties with the Malayali diaspora.
