Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 23 (IANS): Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy recalled Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, who died early Friday, as one who in general was considerate to Indians, particularly to Keralites.
In a condolence message issued here Friday by Chandy, he said that he fondly recalls that during the period when Nitaqat (a Saudi government initiative to boost local employment) was in force in the oil-rich kingdom in 2013, it was through the King's intervention that many requests to the Saudi government were accepted.
"Over the past many decades, Saudi Arabia has been home to lakhs of Keralites, who earn a living by working there and the departed's vision made this happen," said Chandy.
According to a recent study on the diaspora by the Centre for Development Studies, of the 23.63 lakh Kerala diaspora, 25.2 percent are in Saudi Arabia.