By IANS
New Delhi : Talmiz Ahmad, director-general of the Indian Council for World Affairs (ICWA), is India's next ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, the external affairs ministry announced Wednesday.
Ahmad will succeed C.M. Bhandari in the UAE and is expected to take up his assignment shortly, the ministry said.
In his nearly year-long stint as chief of the ICWA, Ahmad revived an institution that was slipping into irrelevance and restored it into what it was meant to be – a vibrant platform for discourse on foreign policy issues.
Ahmad is an old Gulf hand and had earlier served as India's ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Oman. Ahmad's appointment is part of New Delhi's broader strategy of elevating its ties with the Gulf country that is home to more than 1.4 million Indians and is seeking closer business and strategic ties with India.
UAE Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum visited India in March – a trip that saw multi-million dollars between Indian and UAE companies.