KUWAIT: Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah received Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at Bayan Palace on Nov 6, 2025. Present at the meeting were Finance Minister and Chairman of Kuwait Investment Authority Dr Sabeeh Al-Mukhaizeem, BNK Holding Chairman Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi, Chairman and Managing Director of LuLu Group International M A Yusuff Ali and Indian Embassy Charge d’Affaires Sanjay K Muluka. The Kerala chief minister arrived in Kuwait on Thursday on a two-day visit.
During the meeting, both sides highlighted the long-standing and robust ties between India and Kuwait. Sheikh Fahad commended the valuable contribution of the Indian community — including Malayalis — to Kuwait’s development. The chief minister expressed his gratitude for the friendship and cooperation extended by the Kuwaiti government to the Kerala community. He briefed the Kuwaiti leadership on Kerala’s investment-friendly environment and outlined potential projects in various development sectors.
Later, Vijayan met Sheikh Meshal Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, member of the board of directors of Kuwait Investment Authority. Sheikh Meshal announced that a high-level Kuwaiti delegation will soon visit Kerala to explore investment opportunities.
Vijayan’s visit to Kuwait is part of his wider community outreach program across GCC countries. On arrival, he was received by Muluka and other embassy officials. Members of the Loka Kerala Sabha, Malayalam Mission Kuwait and KALA Kuwait office-bearers were also present at the airport to extend a warm welcome to the visiting dignitary.
The chief minister will address a grand public meeting at the Al-Arabi Indoor Stadium in Mansouriya on Nov 7, where he will interact with the large Malayali diaspora in Kuwait. The event, expected to draw a massive gathering of Indian expatriates from Kerala, marks a major milestone for the community and a significant moment of engagement between the Kerala government and its overseas citizens. Hundreds of Indian associations and business leaders in Kuwait have extended their support to the organizers to ensure the success of the visit, which comes after a gap of 26 years. The last visit by a Kerala chief minister to Kuwait was in 1998, when the late E K Nayanar visited the country.
Vijayan’s GCC outreach mission began in Bahrain on Oct 15, followed by visits to Muscat and Salalah in Oman from Oct 24 to 26, and Qatar on Oct 30. After concluding his Kuwait visit, the chief minister is scheduled to travel to the UAE on Nov 9.
