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JEDDAH – Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Pakistani Foreign Minister, is arriving in the Kingdom on April 2. Qureshi will convey a message from President Asif Ali Zardari to King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, focusing on ways to further boost the existing strong bilateral relations.
The minister will also brief the Monarch on the developments in his country and South Asia.
Abdul Aziz Al-Ghadeer, the Kingdom’s Ambassador to Pakistan, said the minister’s visit comes as part of the constant consultation and coordination between the two countries on developments in the Middle East especially in Palestine, Iraq and Iran.
Qureshi will also hold talks with his counterpart, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, covering developments in Pakistan besides the latest regional and global developments. The talks will mainly focus on enhancement of bilateral relations, ways of boosting joint Islamic work and bilateral efforts to combat terrorism, the ambassador said.
A Pakistani source said Qureshi will brief Prince Saud on the outcome of the recent dialogue between Pakistan and India.
Addressing a recent press conference in Islamabad, Qureshi welcomed any mediation by the Kingdom for the improvement of India and Pakistan relations. “Pakistan will never object to such efforts if they come from a friendly country like the Kingdom which has a long history of good relations with Pakistan,” Qureshi was reported by the media as saying. – Okaz/SG

BEIRUT – A Saudi security official has revealed that the Kingdom provided essential intelligence information to the Lebanese government “months” ago which helped it crack down on the Fatah Al-Islam militant group at the Nahr Albarid camp.

Fatah Al-Islam fought the Lebanese army at the Nahr Al Barid camp of Palestinian refugees in 2007. The clashes resulted in the death of more than 20 Saudis.

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Famous Pakistani classical/ semi-classical singer and pride of performance winner Ustad Hamid Ali Khan along with his son, Wali Qasim of the “Raga Boys” band, put on a brilliant show at the Pakistan International School Jeddah – English Section (PISJ-ES) in an event organized to mark the 70th Pakistan Day Thursday.

Pakistani Ambassador Ali Khan Sherzai was the chief guest on the occasion. Link Officer and Consul Akmal Saeed was also among those present at the show.

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RIYADH – Pakistan Day will be celebrated by members of the Pakistani Community here on March 23.

According to a press release from the Pakistani Embassy, the flag hoisting ceremony will be held at the embassy, in the Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh at 0900 hours on Tuesday March 23. The flag hoisting will be performed by H.E. the Ambassador of Pakistan Mr. Umar Khan Alisherzai. Messages of the President and Prime Minister will be read out on the occasion.

The Embassy of Pakistan, Riyadh and Consulate General will remain closed on March 23 for preparations for the Pakistan National Day reception. Hence no consular services will be available to the community on that day at the Embassy in Riyadh and at the Consulate General, Jeddah. All Pakistani nationals and their families are cordially invited to grace the occasion. – SG

JEDDAH – The US Consulate celebrated the 234th anniversary of Americas independence with a National Day event here, Tuesday. The event also celebrated the 65th anniversary of the historic meeting on Feb. 14, 1945 between King Abdul Aziz and President Franklin Roosevelt aboard the USS Quincy.

US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia James Smith, Consul General Martin Quinn, and Saudi Foreign Ministry Director General, Makkah Region, Ambassador Mohammed Al-Tayeb welcomed and delivered remarks to the approximately 400 guests at the event.

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JEDDAH – The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry will organize a Catalog Exhibition on March 21-22 with the participation of a number of Indian companies to display their industrial and consumer products.

The Indian trade delegation accompanying the companies will conclude with Saudi businessmen agreements for the enhancement of trade and investment relations between the two countries.

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RIYADH – Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Emir of Riyadh Region, received Monday Ahmet Mukhtar Gun, Turkish Ambassador to the Kingdom. During the meeting, they exchanged cordial talks and discussed a number of issues of common interest between the two countries. – SPA

RIYADH – A French entourage is scheduled to hold a cultural and technological show at the annual Janadriya Festival, said Bertrand Besancenot, the French Ambassador to the Kingdom.

The ambassador was speaking at a press conference in Riyadh, Sunday.

The entourage will perform military heritage music and a parade honoring King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, he said. 

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The Saudi royal family and the government are working extremely hard for the development of the Kingdom, and Canada wishes to strengthen its relations with Saudi Arabia, said Dave Levac, member of the provincial parliament (MPP) and deputy minister of energy, Ontario, Canada, on his recent visit to the Kingdom.

“We want to have stronger ties with Saudi Arabia – a country that cares a lot for its people – just like Canada does,” said the minister, who was accompanied to the Kingdom by Khalil Ramal, MPP and assistant immigration minister, Ontario Canada. The visit, organized by the Canadian Dawa Association (CDA) in cooperation with the Forum for Social Studies, United Kingdom, sought to promote a better understanding of Saudi Arabia and enhance bilateral relations between the two countries.

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The Asian Consuls General Club (ACGC) bid farewell to Gatot Abdullah Mansyur, Consul General of Indonesia, and Mohamdzen Idris, Vice Consul of Singapore, in a reception held at the Chinese consul generals residence in Jeddah recently. The function was a gesture to express appreciation for the two envoys active cooperation with the ACGC members during their tenure in Jeddah. Mansyur, who has been promoted as the Indonesian Ambassador to Riyadh, received congratulatory messages from others present at the function. The ACGC members also evaluated the third ACGC Film Festival held last month and the Asian Food Festival (Feb. 17-March 1). Plans for next years events were also discussed. In the photo: (3rd from left) Mohamdzen Idris, Vice Consul of Singapore; Sayed Ahmed Baba, Consul General of India; Toshimitsu Ishigure, Consul General of Japan and ACGC coordinator; Abdullah Mansyur, Consul General of Indonesia; Han Dal-jun, Consul General of Korea; and Wang Yong, Consul General of China. Also seen in the photo are wives of some of the consuls general. – SG photo and text by Fouzia Khan