UAE sets up 4th consulate in Hyderabad to boost business ties
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will formally open its fourth diplomatic office in India in the southern city of Hyderabad in June in order to fulfill long-standing visa requests and strengthen commercial ties, particularly in the information technology and healthcare sectors.
FollowHyderabad: In order to fulfill long-standing visa requests and strengthen commercial ties, particularly in the information technology and healthcare sectors, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will formally open its fourth diplomatic office in India in the southern city of Hyderabad in June.
Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, the UAE's state minister for foreign affairs, is scheduled to open the consulate in Hyderabad on June 14 despite the fact that the last-minute details are still being worked out, according to consul general Aaref Alnuaimi. After the embassy in New Delhi and the consulates in Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram, this will be the fourth mission.
“We are opening the consulate in Hyderabad because of the demand of the visa section and the demand of the people who want to go to the UAE,” Alnuaimi said in an interview.
“Besides, UAE citizens visit Hyderabad for a lot of reasons, including studies and medical check-ups in hospitals. This is why our government thought it is better to open a mission in Hyderabad,” he said.
When asked about the reasons why UAE citizens prefer to come to India for medical treatment, Alnuaimi said, “The relationship between the UAE citizens and Hyderabad is very old. And here in India, you have good doctors and hospitals. For these reasons, they are coming here.”
A total of 300 visas per day, including resident visas, are anticipated to be issued by the new consulate.
He stated that in terms of bilateral trade, the UAE was India's third-largest trading partner in 2021–2022, with trade increasing from just US$ 180 million annually in the 1970s to almost US$ 73 billion today.
Alnuaimi, a career diplomat who has worked in Iran, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia in addition to being named Hyderabad's first consul general in December 2021, stated he will serve as a liaison between UAE companies and their counterparts in Hyderabad and Telangana.
“In terms of boosting business connections, we are focusing on two areas – information technology and healthcare,” he said.
“South India is a very big area and the demand [for visas] is also big here,” he added.
One of the largest diaspora populations in West Asia, the UAE is currently home to more than 2.8 million Indian nationals.
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