Guest of honor Mohammed Ahmed Taiyeb, director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Makkah province, formally opened the building by cutting a ribbon in the presence of Indian Ambassador Hamid Ali Rao, Consul General Faiz Ahmad Kidwai, other consuls and a large number of Indian expatriates.

The consulate’s old building, situated on a low-lying area on Madinah Road, was inundated during the devastating floods that hit Jeddah in November 2009 and January 2011, seriously damaging the property and destroying many valuable files. Moreover, with the substantial increase in the number of Indian workers in the region, the old consulate building was not spacious enough to cater to the needs of the community.

Even though it was decided in the late 1990s to shift the consulate to a new and safer locality, all efforts to do so failed on one pretext or other. However, the heavy damage caused by the January 2011 floods gave a strong reason for Indian officials to pursue the case before the Saudi authorities and get the go-ahead to shift the consulate.

Speaking on the occasion, Kidwai said, “Two pressing factors were responsible for shifting the consulate to this new building: First the flood, which caused havoc last time leading to huge losses, and the congested locality of Madinah Road with no proper parking space.”

Kidwai also thanked Ambassador Taiyeb for granting permission to the move.

Taiyeb in his address thanked the Indian community for contributing immensely to the development of the Kingdom and hoped that the ties between the two nations would see new heights.

Speaking about the need for a new building, Ambassador Rao said, “We always endeavor to serve the community in the best possible manner.”