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When Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses Indians at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Monday, the nation’s diaspora in the entire Gulf region will look for some measures to address their concerns. These would include avenues for safe investments giving decentand sustainable returns; voting rights during elections; and cheaper air travel.
Modi arrived in Abu Dhabi on a two-day visit to the UAE on Sunday, making him the second Indian PM to do so after Indira Gandhi’s visit in 1981. At the stadium, he will address a 50,000-strong audience of Indians. These represent not only the 27 lakh Indians in the seven sheikhdoms that make up the UAE, but also the entire Gulf diaspora.
Before his address, Modi will visit an Indian labour camp to get a first-hand feel of how his country men work and live in the UAE, and listen to their problems and concerns. He will also hold discussions with Indian community leaders, businessmen and industrialists. These forums, expats expect, will give them an opportunity to sensitise the Prime Minister to their issues.
Until recently, the UAE was the largest employer of Indian expats in the world. Close to 27 lakh Indians live, work and earn in this Arabian-peninsula country in a wide range of sectors. Recently, Saudi Arabia, which now has more than 28 lakh Indian expats, overtook the UAE. Though there are people from 200 nations livingin the UAE, Indians constitute the largest expat community.
Right to voteA small group of white-collar NRIs working in the Gulf, with whom BusinessLine spoke on the phone, said safety of their investments back in India and decent and stable returns on them topped their concerns. They hoped that the Prime Minister would announce a few projects and schemes that would address this concern.
The right to vote in Indian elections, using the e-voting route, is another issue which they expect Modi will make an announcement on.
Yet another major concern of Gulf Indians is the leap in the cost of air travel, especially during festival times. A Kochi-born NRI in Dubai, who has signed up for the Modi event at the Dubai stadium, said he would raise this issue with the PM if he a chance.
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