KARACHI: As a socially distant Hajj began in Saudi Arabia this week, Pakistani celebrities recalled their experiences of performing the pilgrimage in recent years, before the coronavirus pandemic made large gatherings impossible.
Only a few thousand pilgrims who reside in Saudi Arabia are gathering this year on Mount Mercy on the plains of Arafat for Islam’s most important ritual.
“It was something I had never experienced in my life before,” said prominent film and television actor Feroze Khan, adding that he would still often feel overwhelmed by the memory of being able to perform Hajj last year.
“I have a firm belief that if a person reaches that holy place just in the obedience of his creator, then he or she must get some reward in return,” Khan said. “I had a feeling that an invisible dead layer was peeled off from my heart … to make it much lighter.”
Famous model and beautician Nadia Hussain, who went for Hajj three years ago, said she was relieved when she heard that a ‘limited’ Hajj would be held this year, rather than the event being canceled entirely.
Though Hussain and her family booked the luxurious executive Hajj package, on the day of the pilgrimage, they decided at Arafat to experience the “hardship”of the blistering sun among the crowds.
“So we [Husain and her husband] both came out of our air-conditioned tent and walked to Masjid Nimra to listen to the sermon,” the model said. “Though in Arabic, and very little that we could understand, the experience to be there in the heat with thousands of others was an exhilarating one, which I would always remember.”
Pakistani actor and singer Dua Malik, who went to Hajj with her husband in 2017, said Hajj taught her how to coexist with others: “You have a very little space left for yourself to adjust to ... while not disturbing others around you.”
That lesson, Malik says, led her to continue her education and become a professional psychotherapist.
Renowned writer and poet Asma Nabeel, a cancer survivor, went for Hajj soon after her recovery began.
“What we used to hear about the hardship of the pilgrimage proved to be true when I myself was there three years back,” Nabeel said, recalling how she nearly fainted due to dehydration while sitting in the scorching heat at Arafat with her mother and aunt.
“After the incident, I really was afraid whether I would be able to do the remaining rituals,” she said, “But suddenly the rain started pouring and the weather became cooler.”
Memories of Hajj: Pakistani celebrities remember the pilgrimage before the pandemic
https://arab.news/nswyz
Memories of Hajj: Pakistani celebrities remember the pilgrimage before the pandemic
- Thousands of Muslim celebrities go for Hajj each year before this year’s event was downsized due to COVID-19
- Pakistani models, actors and writers speak to Arab News about their Hajj experiences, express sadness and hope
UAE-Pakistan trade pact in ‘final stage of signing,’ envoy says in address to Lahore chamber
- UAE ambassador tells business leaders Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement near signing
- Chamber cites $7.8 billion remittances from UAE in 2024, urges broader cooperation beyond petroleum trade
ISLAMABAD: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) on Wednesday quoted the UAE’s ambassador as saying the Emirates and Pakistan were in the “final stage” of signing a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) to enhance trade and remove obstacles.
Pakistan and the UAE maintain close economic ties, with the Gulf state serving as one of Islamabad’s largest trading partners and a major source of remittances. Trade between the two countries currently stands at around $8–10 billion, according to figures from the LCCI, while millions of Pakistanis live and work in the UAE. A Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, a broad trade framework aimed at reducing tariffs, easing market access and strengthening investment flows, would formalize and potentially deepen those ties.
Speaking at the Lahore Chamber, UAE Ambassador Salem Mohammed Al Zaabi said the CEPA would help remove business obstacles and deepen economic ties between the two countries.
“Pakistan and the UAE are at the final stage of signing a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which would significantly boost bilateral trade and remove business obstacles between the two countries,” Al Zaabi was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Lahore Chamber.
He added that the existing trade volume of around $8–10 billion did not reflect the full potential of the relationship and his government had a “clear directive” to double the figure as soon as possible.
Al Zaabi said the UAE was expanding investments in Pakistan in sectors including infrastructure, ports, aviation, agriculture, minerals and railways.
He said discussions with Pakistan’s Railway Ministry were progressing and that new agreements related to supply chain connectivity from northern regions to Karachi, including the possibility of a dry port, would be announced soon. He added that the Joint Business Council between the two countries was being activated and efforts were underway to convene its meeting to enhance institutional cooperation.
The UAE ambassador also outlined steps being taken to streamline visa procedures and improve skilled labor mobility.
Referring to the visa process, Al Zaabi said both countries were working to streamline procedures through digital systems and appreciated the efforts of Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior, according to the LCCI statement. He said discussions were underway with the Punjab Skilled Labor Authority to enhance cooperation in skilled workforce mobility.
He added that he was “personally working at operational and technical levels to ensure that all signed agreements, including CEPA and other trade frameworks, are fully implemented.”
The envoy said the UAE was rapidly shifting toward an artificial intelligence-driven and digitized economy, with nearly 99 percent of government services available online.
Highlighting his country’s focus on information technology, digital banking and innovation, the ambassador invited the Lahore Chamber to share a comprehensive document outlining challenges and investment opportunities. He said the UAE Embassy would consider recommendations from the business community and extend facilitation to investors from both sides, adding that special consideration would be given to visa recommendations forwarded by the Chamber for genuine business cases.
He also acknowledged the contribution of the Pakistani community to the UAE’s development, particularly in aviation and finance, and noted that the UAE economy had diversified, reducing oil dependence to below 25 percent.
LCCI President Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol described the UAE as one of Pakistan’s most important trading partners in the Middle East and a major source of remittances.
He said remittances from the UAE reached $7.8 billion in 2024, while Pakistan’s exports to the UAE stood at $2.1 billion in the 2024–25 fiscal year. Imports from the UAE were around $8 billion, largely consisting of petroleum products, according to the Chamber’s statement.
The figures highlight a persistent trade imbalance, with Pakistan importing significantly more from the UAE than it exports, even as millions of Pakistani workers live and work in the Gulf state.
Saigol said there was “vast untapped potential” for cooperation in renewable energy, agriculture and food processing, information technology, logistics, construction, tourism, health care and mining. He proposed establishing dedicated display centers for Pakistani products in the UAE, leveraging the country’s role as a global re-export hub, and called for stronger engagement through trade delegations, business-to-business meetings and joint ventures.
