Celebrating our shared strengths and values

Khan Hasham Bin Saddique, Ambassador of Pakistan to KSA
Updated 13 August 2017
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Celebrating our shared strengths and values

It gives me great pleasure to extend my heartfelt congratulations to fellow Pakistanis living at home and abroad on the Independence Day of our beloved country. We are indeed happy to be celebrating the occasion with our brothers in our second home: Saudi Arabia. This year is momentous as we complete 70 years of independence, which was achieved following an epic struggle and huge sacrifices by Muslims of the subcontinent under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
We are proud to have developed into a modern state in the comity of nations through the untiring efforts of the people and visionary leaders. Today, Pakistan is a country of 200 million people. It is a progressive Islamic state with an active Parliament, an independent judiciary, free media, and a vibrant civil society. Pakistan is endowed with immense natural resources and above all highly industrious, enterprising and peace-loving people. Due to its vital geostrategic location at the confluence of central, western and South Asia and sustained economic growth, Pakistan is destined to rise God willing. Investment-friendly environment and execution of the One Belt One Road’s (OBOR) flagship project; the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) offers bright opportunities to potential investors in not only infrastructure but also in agriculture, food, textile and livestock industries.
Saudi Arabia is revered and occupies a special place in the hearts of Pakistanis that is manifested in the outstanding bilateral relations between the two countries. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have always stood by each other and the collaboration continues to grow. We are grateful to Saudi Arabia for the warmth and hospitality extended to nearly 2.6 million Pakistanis, the largest overseas Pakistani community. I am sure the contributions made by some top professionals, highly skilled and unskilled Pakistanis in the development of Saudi Arabia is well acknowledged. I sincerely hope cooperation in this arena will grow further under the auspices of the Saudi Vision 2030. I urge the Pakistani diaspora to continue to work with zeal and uphold the dignity of our great nation.
Let us today renew our pledge to make Pakistan the state envisioned by our forefathers and founders. I join my Pakistani brethren in praying that Pakistan-Saudi relations grow from strength to strength for the benefit of the Ummah at large and particularly people of the two countries. May Allah bless Pakistan and Saudi Arabia with lasting peace and prosperity in times ahead.

Long Live Pakistan
Long Live Saudi Arabia
Long Live Pakistan Saudi Arabia Friendship


Ethiopian Cultural Days brings aroma of coffee, flavorful food to Alsuwaidi Park in Riyadh

Updated 22 min 57 sec ago
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Ethiopian Cultural Days brings aroma of coffee, flavorful food to Alsuwaidi Park in Riyadh

  • The Global Harmony Cultural Series is open to visitors every day from 4:00 p.m. until midnight

RIYADH: Ethiopian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Muktar Kedir Abdu attended the opening of Ethiopian Cultural Days at Alsuwaidi Park in Riyadh on Thursday.

The Ministry of Media and the General Entertainment Authority organized Ethiopian Cultural Days as part of the Global Harmony Cultural Series, which has focused on several other countries so far, including Yemen, Indonesia, Syria, and Uganda.

The event witnessed the presence of the Ethiopian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Muktar Kedir Abdu. (AN photo Huda Bashatah)

The Global Harmony Cultural Series is open to visitors every day from 4:00 p.m. until midnight.

During Ethiopian Cultural Days, guests will see Ethiopian dance groups showcasing diverse folk dances from various regions of Ethiopia.

The Global Harmony Cultural Series opens its doors for visitors every day from 4:00 PM until midnight, welcoming visitors from all nationalities and age groups to enjoy food, culture, live performances, and more. (AN photo Huda Bashatah)

“What caught my attention the most was the DJ. My friends and I come almost every day for the DJ,” Turki Mesmeh, a frequent visitor to Global Harmony, told Arab News. “They brought their cultures to us, all the way to the Alsuwaidi neighborhood.”

Ethiopia has an enormously rich history. According to National Geographic, the ancient African kingdom of Aksum was based in what is now northern Ethiopia and parts of Eritrea. It emerged as a powerful and wealthy civilization from the 1st to the 10th century CE, controlling the trade routes between the Roman Empire, India, and the Arabian Peninsula. Ethiopia was also among the first countries in Africa to adopt Christianity.

The Global Harmony Cultural Series opens its doors for visitors every day from 4:00 PM until midnight, welcoming visitors from all nationalities and age groups to enjoy food, culture, live performances, and more. (AN photo Huda Bashatah)

Guests to Ethiopian Cultural Days will also discover a range of Ethiopian cuisine.

“The most important dishes are tibs and kitfo. Tibs is meat, fried with tomatoes and other ingredients,” Welday Meles, owner of the Ethiopian restaurant Lucy, told Arab News. 

The Global Harmony Cultural Series opens its doors for visitors every day from 4:00 PM until midnight, welcoming visitors from all nationalities and age groups to enjoy food, culture, live performances, and more. (AN photo Huda Bashatah)

Kitfo is raw minced beef mixed with chili and clarified butter, and is similar to steak tartare.

Another popular dish is beyaynetu, a dish — or series of small dishes — made from a wide variety of ingredients and served with injera — Ethiopia’s famous spongy flatbread made from fermented teff flour.

It is widely known that Ethiopia is the origin of coffee, the beverage that dominates global consumption, and this goes back to an ancient story about a goat herder named Kaldi, who noticed his goats becoming unusually energetic after eating red berries from a particular tree. These red berries were coffee beans. (AN photo Huda Bashatah)

And no celebration of Ethiopia would be complete without coffee. Not only because the coffee plant originated there — legend has it that a goat herder named Kaldi discovered coffee when he noticed that his animals became unusually energetic after eating red berries from a particular tree — but also because the country has preserved its traditional rituals, diverse varieties, and deep cultural connection to coffee, remaining one of its most significant global producers.

Rahika Mohammed, a participant at the event, explained that, in Ethiopia, coffee is commonly served with “popcorn and mastic incense,” adding that “the cup must be full when served.”