An Indian Muslim billionaire businessman, based in United Arab Emirates, has come forward to help build a Protestant church in its capital city of Abu Dhabi.
Yusuff Ali Musaliam Veettil Abdul Kader, popularly known as M A Yusuff Ali on July 23 donated 500,000 dirhams (US$136,147 or 10,138,771 Indian rupees) for the construction of a worshipping centre of the Church of South India in Abu Dhabi. Ali is the chairperson and managing director of Lulu Group International, a multinational conglomerate company that operates a chain of hypermarkets and retail companies. Church of South India parish in Abu Dhabi Father Lalji M Philip received the check from Ali.
The church will be built on 4.37 acres of land donated by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces and the de facto ruler of Abu Dhabi.