Sun, Oct 04, 2009, 15:55 GMT

Armenian expats help boost ties with UAE

Sunday, Oct 04, 2009
Gulf News

Abu Dhabi: Armenia has about seven million "ambassadors" all over the
world and more than 4,500 of them have made the UAE their second home,
the country’s envoy to the UAE told Gulf News. "Only three million
Armenians are living in Armenia but about seven million people are
living all over the world," Vahagn Melikan said on the sidelines of
Armenian National Day celebrations in Abu Dhabi recently. He said many
of the Armenians who had settled in Arab countries such as Lebanon,
Syria and Egypt had migrated to the UAE.

"They are the majority in the community here – more than 3,000.
Armenians migrated from the home country are more than 1,000," he
explained. The UAE has become a favourite tourist destination for
Armenians as more than 35,000 Armenians visited the country in 2008,
Melikan said. A community member said Armenians’ ability to learn new
languages and culture has helped the community in the UAE.

By Binsal Abdul Kader, Staff Reporter
© Gulf News 2009. All rights reserved.

Article originally published by Gulf News
04-Oct-09

Copyright © 2009 ABQ Zawya Ltd. All rights reserved.