Indian Consul General Vipul recounts fond memories of Dubai as his term ends

Vipul, whose three-year tenure will come to an end next week, says the experience of working in the UAE has been a great one, attributing it to the close ties that India enjoys with the Gulf kingdom. Vipul will return to New Delhi on July 7 and he will be replaced by Aman Puri, the current head of the Indian mission in Birmingham, UK.

Dubai is a wonderful place where everyone is welcomed, particularly Indians, says Vipul, India's Consul General here. Vipul, whose three-year tenure will come to an end next week, says the experience of working in the UAE has been a great one, attributing it to the close ties that India enjoys with the Gulf kingdom.

Vipul will return to New Delhi on July 7 and he will be replaced by Aman Puri, the current head of the Indian mission in Birmingham, UK. "Every Indian always has a great experience in Dubai and that's the case with me too. The close, friendly relations between our countries make this posting cherished for all Indian diplomats," Vipul told the Gulf News in an interview.

The diplomat said his tenure here was marked by numerous memorable events. He said the two visits by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UAE has imparted momentum to the bilateral ties.

"Today, India and the UAE continue to cooperate in a wide range of areas -- energy, infrastructure, food security, human resource development," he said. The last three months have been challenging for the consulate, Vipul said.

"First, it was the spread of the coronavirus infection and the help that we had to extend to people. I feel that the UAE authorities did a marvelous job in containing it. The repatriation mission came with its own set of challenges given the large number of people who wanted to go back," Vipul said. Over 4.5 lakh Indians had registered for repatriation after the coronavirus outbreak, of whom 1.2 lakh have been flown home, majority on flights coordinated by the Indian Consulate.