Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 17 (IANS): Ministers from Kerala, which has a sizeable Malayali diaspora in Bahrain, have expressed keenness to meet the Gulf state's ruler Shaikh Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, who is arriving in New Delhi Tuesday.
The Bahraini ruler - along with a high-level delegation - is paying a state visit to India Feb 18-20.
Kerala has long been associated with Bahrain as a large number of Keralites are settled in the Gulf state, state Minister for Culture and Diaspora K.C. Joseph told IANS.
Of the 3.50 lakh Indians in Bahrain, over a lakh are from Kerala.
The Bahrain ruler is visiting India after a gap of over three decades. He is also scheduled to visit Mumbai where the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will host a meeting of the Bahrain-India Business Forum on Wednesday.