Hyderabad: Leader of Opposition in Telangana State Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir has requested Ambassador of Saudi Arabia Dr Saud Mohammed Ali Sati to set up Kingdom’s Counsulate in Hyderabad.
A representation in this regard was submitted to the Saudi Ambassador at the luncheon hosted at Shabbir Ali’s residence in Jubilee Hills on Saturday.
CLP leader K. Jana Reddy, TPCC President Uttam Kumar Reddy and other senior leaders of Congress party handed over the letter to Dr. Saud.
“Hyderabad has emerged as a global city having presence of citizens of various nationalities, including Saudi nationals.
They are in Hyderabad for business, treatment or studies. Similarly, of near three lakh Indian professionals working in Saudi Arabia, nearly 2.5 lakh hail from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh State.
About 11,000 pilgrims go for Haj and 50,000 for Umra pilgrimage every year from Hyderabad. Therefore, setting up of a consulate in Hyderabad would be beneficial, not only for the locals, but for entire South India,” Shabbir Ali said in his representation.
Shabbir Ali pointed out that Hyderabad already houses the Consulates of United States of America, Iran, Turkey and British Trade Office. Therefore, the people of entire South India would benefit if Saudi Arabia sets up its consulate in Hyderabad, he said.
The Ambassador said that KSA was keen to set up the Consulate and assured to expedite the process.
Later, the Saudi Ambassador was joined for lunch by leaders of various political parties, the elite and intelligentsia of Hyderabad.
They include Consul General of Turkey at Hyderabad Murat Omeroglu, former union minister S. Jaipal Reddy, MLCs Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy and Damodar Reddy, ex-minister Danam Nagender, Siasat Daily Editor-in-Chief Zahed Ali Khan, ex-MLA and Jamiatul Ulema president Hafiz Peer Shabbir, Jamaat-e-Islami president Hamed Mohammed Khan, Moulana Raheemuddin Ansari, ex-Chairman of Wakf Board Khusro Biyabani, Shadan Education Societyy chairman Mohammed Shah Alam Rasool Khan, senior IPS officers A.K. Khan and S.A. Huda, and other prominet personalities. (INN)