Pakistan PM launches Arabic Twitter handle to reach millions in Middle East

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s new Arabic language Twitter account @ArabicIk has been set up to promote his social media activity among millions of Arabic speakers across the globe, a top government official said on Friday.
The account, which was launched in May 2020, shares videos of Khan’s speeches and interviews along with Arabic messages. Khan has 12.5 million followers on his official Twitter account, the largest of any Pakistani.
“We will be translating the prime minister’s address to the UN General Assembly in Arabic and promoting it through his official Arabic language Twitter account,” Imran Ghazali, general manager of the Information Ministry’s digital media wing, told Arab News.
A team of volunteers, Ghazali said, is operating the premier’s Arabic language account. All materials are translated from Urdu and English and vetted before they appear on the social media platform.
“We have created this account to connect to millions of Arabic speaking people in our brotherly countries like Saudi Arabia,” Ghazali said. “This will help us promote the prime minister’s vision on Kashmir, Palestine and other international issues in the Arabic language.”
Pakistan enjoys close ties with many Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Around 3 million Pakistani expats live and work in Saudi Arabia, while the UAE is also the second largest labor market for Pakistan workers.
“This is the age of Internet and social media, and we want to use them in different languages including Arabic to promote a positive image of Pakistan in the world,” Ghazali said.