By Sanu George, IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : Mesmerised by the pristine beauty and people of Kerala, visiting Bahrain minister Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdulla Al Khalifa says he can now be considered as an ‘ambassador’ for the south Indian state.
In an interview with IANS on the penultimate day of his first ever visit to the state, Al Khalifa, who is minister of Bahrain prime minister’s court, wished to make the best use of beaches, lakes, mountains and forests of the state located on the tropical Malabar coast of south India.
“The need of the hour is that Kerala has to take the lead and come to promote this beautiful state in Bahrain that is on its way to become a leading financial hub.
“The biggest advantage you have is that the wonderful work that Keralites have done in my country for many years in almost all fields and at all levels,” said Al Khalifa, who is on a private visit to the state.
Al Khalifa, in his early 60s, has been minister for more than three decades and is one of the first civil engineers of Bahrain.
Brushing aside the diverse political contours in Kerala, he said the biggest advantage that Kerala today has is the recent signing of the Rs.10.5 billion Smart City Project to come up in Kochi to be built by Dubai Internet City.
“This is certainly a huge advantage and messages like this should go loud and clear. An investor more than anything else requires trust and confidence that his investment would be safe,” he said.
Interacting with leader of state opposition Oommen Chandy, Al Khalifa was surprised that a state like Kerala does not have an express highway.
“Infrastructure is the foundation of growth for any economy and this is one area which Kerala should address more seriously. Investors from Bahrain would certainly eye infrastructure, tourism and even medical tourism as a potential investment avenue in Kerala,” said the minister who assists Bahrain’s prime minister on a daily basis.
Speaking of the labour and working conditions in his country the minister said Bahrain is a democratic country with a parliament that has framed regulations.
“Labour rules and laws are there and it gives adequate protection. The labour department is fully geared and we are fine tuning this through newer rules,” said Al Khalifa.
The minister held unofficial meetings with a few Kerala ministers.