Indian President Pratibha Patil headed for UAE
12:35AM Mon 15 Nov, 2010
Pratibha Patil to meet Khalifa, open workers' centre.
Abu Dhabi: Indian President Pratibha Patil is coming to the UAE on November 21 on an official visit.
She is expected to meet President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan on November 22, M.K. Lokesh, the Indian Ambassador to the UAE told Gulf News on Sunday.
The schedule with top UAE officials is not yet finalised, but it's being worked out by both the countries, he said.
He told a press conference at the Indian Embassy that Patil would inaugurate the much-awaited Indian Workers Resource Centre (IWRC) in Dubai at a function at the India Club in Dubai on November 23 at 7pm.
The centre will start functioning immediately after the inauguration, Lokesh said.
Her programmes include the inauguration of the new building of the Indian Islamic Centre (IIC) in Abu Dhabi, a community event at the Indian Social and Cultural Centre in Abu Dhabi and various community events in Dubai and Sharjah, the ambassador said.
Islamic Centre
The Indian President will inaugurate the IIC building in Abu Dhabi on November 23 at 11am, Bava Haji, the president of the IIC, told Gulf News.
Established in 1971, the Indian Islamic Centre is a prominent registered Indian community organisation in the capital.
Patil will address the community at the Indian Social and Cultural Centre in Abu Dhabi on November 22, at 7pm, an official of the centre said.
Patil will then leave for Syria on November 25. Her two-nation visit will focus on energy security as India has significant supply links with UAE and Syria.
Support: 24-hour helpline
The Indian Workers Resource Centre in Dubai will be a great support to the Indian community in the UAE. The centre will address the grievances of Indian workers through a 24-hour helpline, the Indian Ambassador told Gulf News on Sunday.
"The centre will provide all necessary information and counselling to workers through the round-the-clock, toll-free number," M.K. Lokesh said.
Source : Gulf News - Nov 15,2010
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