UAE Malayalis Welcome Kerala’s Proposed Name Change to Keralam

The UAE’s Malayali community has warmly embraced the Indian government’s proposal to officially rename Kerala as Keralam. For expatriates across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah, the shift feels less like a change and more like a restoration of linguistic and cultural identity.

For over a million Malayalis living in the UAE—the largest Indian state diaspora in the country—the name Keralam has always held emotional and traditional significance. Community leaders note that Malayalam speakers have consistently referred to their homeland as Keralam, while “Kerala” represented the colonial-era spelling used in passports, maps, and official documents.

Many in the Gulf compare the move to the renaming of Bombay to Mumbai or Madras to Chennai—an overdue correction that aligns with cultural roots. Supporters say the term Keralam has origins linked to the Chera dynasty or the phrase “Land of Coconut Trees,” reflecting both heritage and geography.

Not everyone is fully convinced; some argue that “Kerala” has stronger global recall and tourism value. Even within India, reactions have ranged from enthusiastic to humorous. Parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor’s viral comment about whether residents would now be called “Keralamites” or “Malayalis” added levity to the debate.

The renaming, however, is not yet official. The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 must pass Parliament and secure Presidential assent before global references and documents are updated.

For now, the conversation continues—but for many Malayalis in the UAE, the sentiment remains clear:

“It has always been Keralam.”