Abidh CK arrived in the UAE on November 10, 1976, aged 16, with Dh10 in his pocket and a visa sent by his uncle. Fifty years later, he is leaving the country on the very same date.

"I came with Dh10 in my pocket. Now I am leaving feeling like I was blessed. I built a whole life here," he said. His two daughters are married and he has six grandchildren.

The day after he arrived, he began working as a salesman at the Sharjah branch of a textile shop, earning a first salary of Dh700. To speak to customers he learnt Farsi, Arabic, Hindi and other languages. About three years later he moved to the shop's Dubai branch in Murshid Bazaar.

He recalls a Dubai limited to Deira, Qusais and Bur Dubai, with desert stretching to Abu Dhabi, shared taxis costing Dh2 per person, and festive Thursday nights on Naif Road.

Curious about new technology, he later built a website called keralauae.com to help fellow Keralites find newspapers, travel bookings and other services in one place.

He says coming to the UAE has become far easier thanks to flexible visa options. Asked what he will miss most, he answered without hesitation: "Probably the peace and security."

(Source: Khaleej Times)