Islamabad, Nov 1: Ambassador Farooq Praises Saudi Media Ministry for Hosting Pakistan Week at Suwaidi Park. Ahmad Farooq, the ambassador of Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, commended the Saudi Ministry of Media for hosting Pakistan Week in Suwaidi Park with the theme “Global Harmony.”
The event highlights the depth of Pakistani culture in the capital of Saudi Arabia with the goal of fostering cultural diversity and inclusion. Speaking to a group of Pakistani journalists who are now in Riyadh on an official assignment, Ambassador Farooq said he hoped that the Saudi populace and the Pakistani diaspora would both appreciate this joyous celebration, which will showcase Pakistani culture in all its authenticity.
He mentioned that in order to make it easier for Pakistanis from different parts of the Kingdom to come and take part in this celebration, the embassy is setting up transportation services through its community welfare officers.
Ambassador Farooq expressed his expectation that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia would result in favorable economic consequences for Pakistan. He emphasized that a Saudi group headed by Investment Minister Khalid A. Al-Falih inked 27 agreements totaling $2 billion during the visit, and the prime minister’s first priority was to discuss execution. Agreements worth $500 million have already made headway.
Furthermore, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have inked seven new memorandums of understanding (MoUs), bringing the total value of their bilateral projects to $2.8 billion. Ambassador Farooq pointed out that Saudi Arabia is very interested in using Pakistan’s advantageous location as a “food basket” for the area.
Bilateral relations in information technology, energy, and agriculture. And natural resources keep getting stronger, as Saudi businesses actively acquire Pakistani agricultural goods. When asked about Pakistani nationals in Saudi prisons, Ambassador Farooq clarified that most of them are being held on drug-related offenses.
In order to help Pakistanis stay in compliance with Saudi legislation, he underlined the embassy’s continuous awareness programs concerning local laws. He emphasized that Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia, as well as in Iraq, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates, must stop engaging in such behavior.
According to Ambassador Farooq, the embassy is dedicated to resolving the concerns of the over 2.8 million Pakistanis who call Saudi Arabia home, many of whom reside in isolated regions. He gave examples of how more than 2,500 people come to the embassy every day to seek help, and how the staff tries their best to help them.
In his speech, he thanked his predecessors for their efforts to help the Pakistani community and promised to continue their good work. The ambassador described Saudi Arabia as a safe place to travel in the global community and praised its strong security structure.
The need for highly qualified Pakistani workers has increased as a result of Saudi Arabia’s fast industrialization and growing construction industry, especially in the oil and gas industry. Ambassador Farooq called on Pakistani organizations that send laborers to Saudi Arabia to inform workers about their rights and how to use online tools to file grievances. He emphasized Saudi Arabia’s increased collaboration with Pakistan in the media industry, which includes efforts in film production and the Arabic dubbing of Urdu dramas.
Later, at Suwaidi Park, Ambassador Farooq officially launched Pakistan Week, expressing hope that it will deepen cultural connections between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. “I hope that a number of similar cultural events will continue to strengthen our relationship and provide a sense of joy and belonging to Pakistani residents in the Kingdom,” he said.
