RIYADH: Hundreds of Saudi passport control students are being given special language training as part of efforts to improve communication with pilgrims traveling to the Kingdom.
The Saudi General Directorate of Passports currently has 500 trainees on learning schemes covering more than 10 languages, said Brig. Gen. Dr. Saleh bin Saad Al-Merbaa, director of general administration for training in the passport department.
“This program is not the first, it began two years ago, but each year it is developing, updating and setting more precise criteria for selecting the best applicants from the students and subjecting them to the required training programs in order to contribute to the development of their skills,” he added.
The students who are well versed in English, Spanish, Indonesian, Japanese, Persian, Urdu, Turkish and other languages, have been appointed at Hajj terminals in Jeddah and in Madinah to assist international pilgrims.
Saudi authorities have also taken other steps to help pilgrims perform Hajj rituals with maximum comfort and ease.
If pilgrims are lost, in need of help, have a medical emergency or faced with any other issue during Hajj this
year, they can just dial 911 and a team of competent young Saudis will be ready to help.
The National Center for Security Operations at the Saudi Interior Ministry launched its 911 call center five years ago in Makkah, with three additional centers in Riyadh, Shargiyah and Madinah.
Workers at the centers also speak various languages, including Urdu, English, French, German and Indonesian, in addition to being adept at English, Spanish, Japanese, Persian, Turkish and other tongues.
Besides, a 24-hour, seven days a week call center has also been set up, which sends out SMS-es with the following message: “Dear pilgrims, your service is an honor and your security is our duty. Policemen are ready to fulfill your urgent needs on 911.”
The center is also active on Twitter, updating pilgrims with the latest news on weather, and other information pertaining to their travel.
Saudi Arabia trains 500 officers to greet pilgrims
Saudi Arabia trains 500 officers to greet pilgrims
- Trainees on learning schemes cover more than 10 languages including Urdu
- Special language training is part of efforts to improve communication with pilgrims traveling to the Kingdom
Pakistan stock market crosses record 174,000 points during intraday trading
- Pakistan Finance Adviser Khurram Schehzad says stock market’s equity investor base has increased by over 120,000 in last 18 months
- Official says stock market’s record levels reflect growing investor confidence supported by continued macro stability and key reforms
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) crossed a record 174,000 points on Monday, Finance Adviser Khurram Schehzad said, marking a strong start to the business week.
According to the data available on the PSX’s official website, the KSE-100 benchmark reported 174,411.72 points during the intraday trading on Monday morning.
“Another milestone for Pakistan’s equity market,” Schehzad wrote on social media platform X. “The KSE-100 Index has crossed 174,400 points, marking yet another record high.”
Pointing out the stock market’s achievements this year, Schehzad said the PSX has delivered 50 percent plus returns in US dollar terms to investors since January this year, “making it one of the best markets in Asia.”
He noted that investors’ participation in the PSX is rising fast, adding that the equity investor base has increased by over 120,000 to cross the 450,000 figure in the last 18 months, marking a 37 percent increase.
“These record levels reflect growing investor confidence, supported by continued macro stability, key reforms, and improving prospects for more sustainable, higher future growth,” he said.
Pakistan’s stocks have surged in recent years, marking a strong performance this year as Islamabad moves to consolidate its financial recovery after years of economic turbulence, which saw it on the verge of a sovereign default in June 2023.
Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves have surged past the $21 billion mark, as per the central bank’s latest data.
In recent years, the South Asian country has also implemented tough structural reforms under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programs, aimed at reducing fiscal deficits and restoring investor confidence.
