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Bahrain business giant wants to build resort
Monday, 15 March 2004, 20:30 IST
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Impressed by the greenery and backwaters of Kerala, a leading businessman from Bahrain is determined to exploit the state's tourism potential by building a world-class resort.
Farouk Al-Moyaed, chairman of the Y.K. Al-Moyaed Group of companies in Bahrain, which has an annual turnover of $300 million, is currently on a visit to Kerala for the first time.
"This is my first ever visit and, believe me, I had never imagined Kerala to be so lovely," said Al-Moyaed, who is on a private visit with his wife, daughter and mother-in-law.
He has been to Kochi and Kumarakom to attend the wedding of an employee's daughter.
"Once I reach Bahrain, I will start thinking on what needs to be done. I have nothing else other than a resort in mind," Al-Moyaed told IANS over the phone from Kumarakom.
He deals with all kinds of ventures, including automobiles, turnkey construction projects, furniture and fittings and air conditioning. He has just completed the tallest building in Bahrain, the 47-storey Al-Moyaed Towers.
Al-Moyaed employs about 8,500 employees, 70 percent from Kerala.
Senior officials of the company had come to Kerala earlier with a proposal to assemble broken down kits of York air conditioners to be imported from the US.
The officials took part in the much-publicised Global Investors Meet at Kochi in January 2003 but the proposal failed to materialise.
Letting bygones be bygones, the businessman said: "Now, the only thing I have in my mind is a world class tourist resort. As things stand now, it is a certainty but I am not going to rush into it."
Source: IANS
Source: IANS