Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan departed from Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday night for a Gulf tour, beginning with Bahrain.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is set to embark on a Gulf tour, starting with Bahrain, where he will attend the Expat Malayali meet organized by the Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam, in collaboration with the Malayalam Mission and Loka Kerala Sabha.

The event is scheduled for the day after tomorrow and will bring together the Malayali diaspora in Bahrain. However, some opposition organizations in Bahrain have announced plans to boycott the Chief Minister’s participation.

Following his visit to Bahrain, Vijayan will travel to Oman, specifically Salalah, on October 24–25. During this leg of the tour, he will be the chief guest at the Indian Community Festival organized by the Indian Social Club – Kerala Wing at Amerat Park, Muscat. This marks the first visit by a Kerala Chief Minister to Oman in 26 years, underscoring the significance of strengthening ties with the expatriate community.

The tour will continue with stops in Qatar on October 30, Kuwait on November 7, and the UAE on November 9, covering key Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations except Saudi Arabia.

Although the official purpose of the tour is cultural and community engagement, political observers note that it coincides with the upcoming Kerala assembly elections, turning the visit into a platform for election-related outreach. The participation of expatriate communities in Kerala’s political discourse is increasing, as seen earlier when Leader of the Opposition V. D. Satheesan engaged with the Indian diaspora in the UAE.

The tour is expected to bolster Kerala’s connections with its Gulf-based population, highlighting cultural engagement, community development, and the growing political awareness of Malayalis living abroad.