Vijayan is leaving Jeddah for New Delhi after completing his four-year tenure in the Saudi city. He is also retiring from the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) after 39 years of service.

Vijayan said he will be taking fond memories of his stay in the Kingdom and hoped the Consulate General of India in Jeddah would continue serving the community.

“I will go to Delhi to wind up before going back to my village in Thrissur,” Vijayan said.

“The only thing is that after 39 years outside India, going back to my roots will be a totally new thing for me. Things have changed and the people I knew might not be there, I will have to rebuild my life there. But I’ll have the time for it,” he added.

The party was attended by B.K. Aseeja, consul (head of chancery), Mohammed Rashid Khan, consul (commercial), Madan Lal Raigar, consul (passport), Shakeel Ahmed, consul (education), S.D. Moorthy, consul (Haj-II), Sarooha, vice consul (labor), Anil Naib, vice consul (PS), Promod Kumar and Bobby Manatt.

Speakers at the event on behalf of IYWA included Fuzail Ahmad, Ramnarayan Iyer and Khawja Naser Jamal.

Mir Gazanfar Ali Zaki and Muzzammil Hussain presented a memento and flowers while Syed Baqer Ali gave a vote of thanks and offered Vijayan, on behalf of IYWA, best wishes for the future.