ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Saudi media culture tourism cooperation took a step forward this week, when the two countries agreed to work more closely together in media, culture and tourism. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Rajeh bin Thamer Al-Baqmi met in Islamabad on Tuesday, and they agreed to further strengthen cooperation between the two brotherly countries in information, broadcasting, media, culture and public relations. The meeting was the latest sign that the relationship between the two countries is growing beyond trade and defence.
The Attaullah Tarar Saudi Ambassador Al-Baqmi meeting was held in Islamabad on Tuesday, and the minister welcomed the ambassador and congratulated him on his diplomatic assignment. The minister said he was confident that the ambassador’s tenure would further strengthen the longstanding ties between the two countries, and he said Pakistan-Saudi relations were reaching new heights. The two sides talked about the vast opportunities for expanding cooperation in media, culture, drama, music, tourism and people-to-people contacts, and they agreed to keep working together in those fields.
The Saudi Ambassador Dino Valley Islamabad visit a few days earlier set the tone for the talks, and it showed the human side of the relationship. The newly appointed Saudi ambassador explored Islamabad’s tourism potential during a visit to Dino Valley, where he enjoyed the natural beauty and scenic landscapes of the capital. The Saudi Embassy press attache, Saif Nasser, shared a video of the visit on social media, saying that exploring a country’s natural beauty and tourism potential helped foster people-to-people ties.
The Saudi media Pakistan tourism promotion plan includes inviting Saudi media teams, tourists and digital influencers to visit Pakistan and see its tourist destinations for themselves. The minister highlighted Pakistan’s tourism potential and invited Saudi media representatives, tourists and digital influencers to visit the country’s diverse tourist destinations and explore its natural beauty and historical heritage. The idea is that visitors who see Pakistan with their own eyes will carry a better picture of the country back home than any official statement could give.
The Pakistan Saudi AlUla Diriyah tourism examples were cited by the minister as models of what tourism can do for a country. He observed that under the leadership of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia had undergone a remarkable transformation in economic and cultural spheres, and he said the promotion of tourism in AlUla and the modern presentation of the historical and cultural significance of Diriyah were prominent examples of that vision. Pakistan, he suggested, could learn from the way Saudi Arabia has presented its own heritage to the world.
The Saudi Ambassador credentials October 14 Aiwan-e-Sadr ceremony formally started his posting, when he presented his diplomatic credentials to President Asif Ali Zardari. The ambassador was appointed in July, replacing Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, who had served in the position for nearly nine years, and he arrived in Islamabad on 26 September to take charge. His early weeks have been busy, with meetings on visas for Pakistani workers, on religious affairs and Hajj arrangements, and now on media, culture and tourism.
The visa talks are part of the same wider partnership, and the ambassador has already assured Pakistan that Saudi Arabia would extend all possible facilities to Pakistani workers, including cooperation to issue their visas within 24 hours. He also met the religious affairs minister to discuss Hajj and Umrah services, and the two sides agreed to keep coordinating on pilgrim facilities. The media and tourism talks fit into that pattern, with labour, religion, culture and tourism all treated as parts of one relationship rather than separate files.
Tourism itself is becoming a bigger part of the story between the two countries, and both sides have reasons to promote it. Pakistan wants more visitors to see its mountains, valleys and historic cities, and it wants the world to see it as a safe and welcoming place for travellers. Saudi Arabia, for its part, is opening its own doors to tourists under its Vision 2030 plan, and it has experience in presenting heritage sites to international visitors. Working together on tourism could help both countries.
Readers should keep one point in mind about this story. The spelling of the ambassador’s name varies across reports, with Al-Baqmi, Al-Baqami, Al-Buqami and Albugamy all used, and this article uses the spelling given by Suno News and Bloom Pakistan, as in our earlier report on the visa talks. The agreement to cooperate is a promise rather than a finished programme, and its value will be judged by whether Saudi media teams and tourists actually visit Pakistan in the months ahead.
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