The UAE will open its first consulate in south India within three months and it will be located here in the capital of the Kerala state.

The UAE is the second country to open a consulate after Maldives in Kerala, the largest exporter of manpower among the Indian states.

Saudi Arabia has also agreed to open a consulate in the state.

“We are scouting for an ideal premises and we hope to open the consulate within two or three months,” said Mohammed Sultan Al-Owais, the Gulf country’s ambassador to New Delhi, who made the official announcement. “This will be a beginning and there’ll be more cooperation between the two countries”.

He said his government will now be able to offer more services through the consulate and hoped more investments would flow into Kerala from his country.

The announcement was welcomed by Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Dr. Shashi Tharoor, the junior human resources minister who invited the UAE to open its mission in the state when he was India’s junior foreign minister in 2011.

“I thank the UAE government for this gesture. All those Keralites working in the UAE will also rejoice in this decision,” said Chandy addressing the meet “UAE-Kerala Partners in the Growth” organized by the UAE embassy to make the announcement.

The UAE is the largest foreign investor in Kerala where DP World is operating India’s first international container transshipment terminal and “SmartCity Kochi”, an exclusive space for knowledge industries promoted by the Tecom Investments and under construction in the port city.

Chandy said the Kochi port, which boasts of centuries of shared maritime history, has become the pride of Kerala while SmartCity was the state’s dream project.

“We enjoy a strong trade and investment ties. The opening of the consulate will open a new chapter in streamlining them,” said the chief minister, who had last year called on Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Al Maktoum and received his assurance for expediting the SmartCity project.

The Prime Minister and Vice-President of the UAE and the Dubai ruler also sent a surprise New Year gift to Chandy — the Malayalam version of his book My Vision: Challenges in the Race for Excellence — through Dubai-based investor Yusuffali MA.

“Establishment of a Consulate affirms special relationship between Kerala and the UAE. It cements growing international stature of Thiruvananthapuram,” said Dr. Tharoor, who expressed his gratitude to the UAE foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed.

He said more Gulf countries have expressed willingness to open their consulate in Kerala and Sri Lanka will make a similar announcement within a month.

“This will encourage more UAE nationals in to visit our beautiful state in larger numbers. The UAE is a country where Keralites consider as a second home,” he said.

“The opening of the consulate is a recognition of the sterling contribution of Keralites. This is a further reinforcement of a bond that has existed for centuries.”

KC Joseph, the state’s minister of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA), thanked Yusuffali MA, vice-chairman of the NORKA-Roots, the field agency of his department, and the lone non-Arab director of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry for his role in promoting ties between the two regions.

“This will definitely help boost the commercial ties and there will be more investments coming in. This will also help Dubai to monitor its project in a more effective manner,” said Yusuffali, who himself is a major investor in the state.