H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Education of the United Arab Emirates, will be on a week-long visit to India starting August 24, 2005. He will be visiting Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram and Cochin.

H.H. Sheikh Nahyan will have meetings with the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Government of India and with Chief Ministers and Ministers in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.

In Kerala, H.H. Sheikh Nahyan will be hosted for a dinner by the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Kerala after arrival in Thiruvananthapuram on 27th August. H.H. Sheikh Nahyan on way from Thiruvananthapuram to Cochin would have an unique opportunity to see the beautiful country side of Kerala, stay at the Kumarakom lake resort and enjoy a cruise in the Kumarakom backwaters. The internationally popular annual Nehru Boat Race of Kerala is held in the Kumarakom backwaters, which H.H. Sheikh Nahyan narrowly missed witnessing. The boat race was held last fortnight.

H.H. Sheikh Nahyan will be inaugurating the Le Mer Public School at Nattika, Trichur district, set up by the well-known entrepreneur and philanthropist, Mr. Yusuf Ali. H.H. Sheikh Nahyan will also witness foundation stone laying ceremony of a new block in the School by the Hon'ble Speaker of Kerala Assembly, to be named after H.H. Sheikh Mubarak bin Mohamed Al Nahyan, beloved father of H.H. Sheikh Nahyan. H.H. Sheikh Nahyan will also visit the Cheraman Mosque, reportedly the first mosque to have been built in India more than a thousand years ago.

Before emplaning for Delhi in Abu Dhabi this morning, H.H. Sheikh Nahyan said that he was looking forward to his India visit and in particular, to the Southern States. "I have had great fascination for Kerala and I am glad that I will be able to see two major cities - Thiruvananthapuram and Cochin, and also drive through the country side for three days from August 27-30, 2005," H.H. Sheikh Nahyan said, recognizing the fact that a large majority of Keralites constitute the expatriate Indian community in UAE and contribute handsomely for the development of his country.

H.H. Sheikh Nahyan and delegation were seen off at the airport by H.E. Mr. Chandra Mohan Bhandari, Ambassador of India to the United Arab Emirates and several prominent Indian community members. Ambassador Bhandari welcomed H.H. Sheikh Nahyan's visit to India saying "The community have a brotherly patron in H.H. Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan. The entire Indian community holds him in high esteem and his forthcoming visit to India would further deepen the strong bonds that already exist between our two countries."