Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday requested Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to India Dr. Saud Bin Mohammed Al Sati to set up their consulate in Hyderabad since Hyderbad City and erstwhile Hyderabad State had cultural links with the Gulf nation for long.
The Chief Minister made the request when the Saudi Ambassador called on him. Mr. Al Sati stated on the occasion that their government had similar opinion about having a consulate in Hyderabad.
On the plea for Saudi investment in Telangana, Mr. Al Sati said their government had already directed the Finance and Commerce Ministries to explore the possibilities of investment in Telangana. He said he had come to an understanding on the rapid strides being made by Telangana during a CII interaction with government and private commerce and trade experts.
Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao said Hyderabad had cultural heritage links with Saudi Arabia for centuries and the Sixth Nizam Mahabub Ali Pasha had constructed a ‘rubat’ (guest house) near Kaba in Saudi Arabia for the facility of Haj pilgrims from Hyderabad state. He noted that the Haj pilgrims from Telangana were treated as the guests of god. The Chief Minister further stated that over three lakh people from Telangana area were living in Saudi and a large number of people from erstwhile Hyderabad state area were also working there and a consulate in Hyderabad would be helpful to all of them.
Salient features of the new industrial policy of Telangana were also explained to the Saudi Ambassador and the delegation that accompanied him. Deputy Chief Minister Md. Mahamood Ali, TRS MP K. Keshava Rao, senior officials A.K. Khan, and Syed Omer Jaleel were present.
