YANBU (SAUDI ARABIA): Sheela John Sundar of Narsapuram in Andhra Pradesh's West Godavari district is returning home after 37 years in Saudi Arabia. He left for Yanbu, an industrial city, in 1989, soon after completing a BSc in chemistry. He started as a laboratory technician and rose to become an environmental specialist at a leading company.

Community work

  • During the Covid pandemic, he supplied food provisions to Telugu workers
  • He worked with the Yanbu Telugu expatriate association TAJ and later with SATA on welfare activities

At a farewell organised by the community, Kashiram, president of the Yanbu Telugu community, said the city's Telugu people were "losing a precious gem". SATA president Malleshan called John Sundar a role model for every Telugu person living abroad.

Gulf rules make it hard for most expatriates to stay on after retirement, so many who spend decades there eventually return to their home towns.