Plans are under way to set up a Saudi chapter of the Delhi-based India Islamic Cultural Centre (IICC).

The center is an institution of international repute established in 1984.

The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi laid the foundation stone of the center, which has more than 2,000 life members from all across India who elect their office bearers every five years.

The main purpose of IICC is to promote understanding among people in India and to project the moderate face of Islam. It also provides a forum where scholars from all fields can interact with each other to promote friendship and peace among the various cultural and religious groups in India.

More than 100 prominent Indian expatriates gathered at a pre-launch session dinner hosted by IICC Saudi Arabia’s working committee in Riyadh. President of the Nadwa Alumni Association in Riyadh, Ahsan Nadwi, recited verses from the Holy Qur’an.

Efforts to establish a Saudi chapter gained momentum when IICC President Sirajuddin Qureshi visited Saudi Arabia last April. Finally in June 2012, the center’s directors and trustees granted permission to a group of Indian expatriates in the Kingdom to establish its Saudi chapter in Riyadh. A 10-member ad hoc working committee has been set up to represent IICC in the Kingdom.

Former student leader and member of the IICC working committee Murshid Kamal said the main objective of establishing a Saudi chapter is to expand the center’s base and initiate its membership drive in the Kingdom. He added: “The IICC will also work closely with local community leaders in India, especially in Patna and Lucknow, to establish the center’s regional chapters there.”

Murshid said an inaugural session has been planned in October in Riyadh in which Indian ministers and political leaders will be invited to attend along with Qureshi. Murshid also proposed an expansion to IICC activities, which includes establishment of educational institutions and health care services.

Tarique Masood, a prominent Indian businessman and a life member of IICC New Delhi, emphasized the need to increase the center’s expatriate membership. He appealed to Indian businessmen and professionals living in the Kingdom to support the initiative taken by the IICC working committee and volunteer to help establish the Patna and Lucknow centers.

He also suggested an improvement in the center’s services and facilities, especially for Indian expatriates visiting Delhi for a holiday or business trip.

Mohammed Zaigham Khan, former president of the Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Association in Riyadh and another IICC life member, welcomed the center’s decision to open a chapter in Saudi Arabia. He pledged his support to the IICC working committee.

Firoz Rahman, another social activist and Indian businessman from the Indian state of Bihar, said he had always dreamed of seeing the center's buildings in Patna. He offered help in acquiring land in Patna for the construction of its office.

Kaunain Shahdi, business manager at Almarai group, praised the secular character of the IICC and said that despite having its roots in Islamic civilization, the center prides itself on promoting the cause of national integration.

Abdul Ghani, general secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Welfare Association (UPWA), thanked the audience for their enthusiastic participation in the pre-launch session.

The 10 member ad hoc working committee includes former Vice President of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) Alumni Association Riyadh Laique Azmi; well-known Riyadh based businessman Syed Ziauddin; social worker and entrepreneur Mohammed Ali Siddiqui; JMI Alumni Association Riyadh’s Joint Secretary Naushad Alam; religious figure Qari Mohammed Waliullah; and former Joint Secretary of JMI Alumni Association Asif Equbal.