Telugu expats launch association in Jeddah

The Telugu-speaking expatriate community from the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh launched the first Telugu organization, the Telugu Association of Jeddah (TAJ), at the Indian Consulate recently.
The organization comprises community members hailing from different parts of the state living in Jeddah and the Western Province.
Members of the organization met with Indian Consul General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai and briefed him about the organization and its activities. They also extended support to community welfare activities taken up by the Indian Consulate in the Western Province.
TAJ President Mastan Shaikh said, “This is the first time that Telugu-speaking expatriates in the region have expressed their solidarity with the organization irrespective of the ongoing bifurcation process taking place in Andhra Pradesh.”
The organization has members from Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema and Telangana. There are about 400,000 non-resident Indians from Andhra Pradesh living in the Kingdom, many of whom speaking Telugu, besides Urdu, he said.
TAJ general secretary Kutumba Rao and Karamat, Syed Moiz and Mohammed Imran were also part of the delegation that met with the consul general.