ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s state television said on Wednesday a Pakistani soap opera with Arabic subtitles would air in Saudi Arabia in June this year, one of two television series to be broadcast in the Muslim Kingdom.
Last week Pakistan’s information minister Fawad Chaudhry announced during a visit to the Saudi capital of Riyadh that Islamabad would soon export its television series to the Kingdom.
The move is part of a push by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the last three years to modernize the deeply conservative Kingdom where cinemas, public concerts and other forms of entertainment have been banned for decades.
“We have selected two very popular dramas, Dhoop Kinare (Sunlight’s Edge) and Tanhaiyaan (Loneliness), for Arabic subtitles,” Shahzia Sikander, Director International Relations at Pakistan Television, told Arab News. “We will be able to send Dhoop Kinare to Saudi Arabia by June this year.”
She said the move would not only be a source of revenue for Pakistan but also bring recognition for local television series and actors and help Saudi nationals understand the culture of Pakistan.
“This is the first time that Pakistan Television is subtitling Pakistani drama into Arabic for Saudi viewers,” Sikander said.
Last week, during the information minister’s visit to the Kingdom on the invitation of Saudi Culture Minister Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Chaudhry said Saudi Airlines would soon include Pakistani television dramas in their in-flight entertainment. He also said Pakistan’s art academies and actors would extend their support to Saudi Arabia as it established new academies for performing arts.
Pakistan is also once again expected to participate in a music festival to be held in Saudi Arabia in April this year. Last year, Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan participated in the festival at Riyadh’s King Fahad Culture Center.
In September 2018, Saudi Arabia’s Minister for Information Dr. Awwad bin Saleh Al-Awwad had visited Pakistan to discuss how the two allies could broaden their relationship in the fields of media and culture.
Two major Pakistani drama series to air in Saudi Arabia this year
Two major Pakistani drama series to air in Saudi Arabia this year
- Pakistan Television has picked two television series, Dhoop Kinare and Tanhaiyaan, for broadcast in the Kingdom
- This is the first time Pakistan is subtitling its drama series into Arabic for Saudi viewers
Pakistan embassy, UN Tourism mark International Day of Mountains in Riyadh
- Event highlights Pakistan’s mountain ecosystems, mountaineering heritage, climate risks
- Diplomats, artists and climbers gather to promote sustainable mountain tourism
ISLAMABAD: The Embassy of Pakistan in Riyadh, in collaboration with the UN Tourism Office, hosted an event this week to mark the United Nations-designated International Day of Mountains, bringing together diplomats, civil society members, mountaineers and artists to spotlight the global and Pakistani significance of mountain ecosystems.
Pakistan is home to some of the world’s largest mountain ranges and glacier systems outside the polar regions, including the Himalayas, Karakoram and Hindu Kush, which feed major rivers that sustain agriculture, hydropower and drinking water for millions of people. Rising temperatures linked to climate change are accelerating glacial melt, increasing the risk of floods, landslides and glacial lake outburst floods, while also threatening long-term water security as ice reserves shrink.
These changes are already affecting mountain communities whose livelihoods depend on farming, tourism and pastoralism, exposing them to displacement, loss of income and environmental degradation, and amplifying the human and economic costs of extreme weather events across downstream regions.
Held at the UN Tourism Office in Riyadh, Thursday’s event focused on the ecological, cultural and economic importance of mountains, with particular attention to Pakistan’s vast high-altitude landscapes.
The evening opened with a micro-documentary titled Mountains of Pakistan, showcasing the country’s mountain ranges and their ecological value. Ambassador of Pakistan to Saudi Arabia Ahmad Farooq, in his opening remarks, highlighted the essential role mountains play in sustaining water systems, food security and communities, while also drawing attention to the growing threats posed by climate change.
“Mountains are not just landscapes, they are life-giving ecosystems, repositories of culture, and sources of inspiration,” Farooq said. “Tonight, we celebrate not only their beauty but our shared responsibility to protect them for future generations.”
He also referred to challenges facing Pakistan’s mountain regions, including climate-change-driven glacial melt and related environmental risks, reaffirming Islamabad’s commitment to sustainable mountain development.
The program included remarks by the director of the UN Tourism Office, who underscored the importance of international cooperation in preserving fragile mountain ecosystems. A second micro-documentary, Spirit of Mountaineering, paid tribute to the courage and resilience of Pakistani climbers and their contributions to global mountaineering.
Among the featured speakers was Naila Kiani, a prominent Pakistani mountaineer and environmental advocate, who shared her experiences scaling some of the world’s highest peaks, including K2 and Nanga Parbat. Kiani is the first Pakistani woman and overall third Pakistani to climb 12 of the 14 eight-thousanders.
Ambassador Farrukh Amil, a senior Pakistani career diplomat and former ambassador, spoke about Pakistan’s mountain heritage and ongoing initiatives to promote conservation and eco-tourism, while landscape photographer Awais Ali presented a photographic exhibition capturing the majesty of Pakistan’s northern regions and the lives of their communities.
The event concluded with the formal inauguration of the mountain photography exhibition curated by Ali, offering guests an immersive visual journey through Pakistan’s highlands.
The embassy said the celebration reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to raising global awareness about mountain ecosystems, promoting sustainable tourism and fostering international collaboration to address climate challenges affecting these fragile environments.
