KARACHI: The Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) on Thursday held a networking event in Pakistan’s commercial capital of Karachi and showcased luxury tourist destinations in the Kingdom, which expects more than 2.8 million Pakistani visitors this year.
The development comes amid Riyadh’s efforts to boost public service sectors in the Kingdom such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation and tourism as part of the Vision 2030 framework, which aims to cut the Kingdom’s reliance on oil.
The STA showcased diverse tourism offerings, including luxury hotels, at the networking event held at Karachi’s Avari Tower hotel, which was attended by travel enthusiasts, members of the civil society and celebrities from Pakistan’s film and drama industry.
STA officials gave presentations to Pakistani audiences at the event, with two giant screens at the poolside showing tourist destinations like Maraya in AlUla, Al-Bujairi heritage tourist park in Diriyah, the Red Sea, King Abdullah Economic City, the skyline in Riyadh, and the historical old city of Jeddah.
“These world-class resorts promise an unparalleled seaside experience, blending sustainability with high-end hospitality,” the STA said in a statement at the end of the event.
Saudi Arabia is home to the two holiest cities of Islam, Makkah and Madinah, which are visited by millions of Muslims from across the world for Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages each year.
In recent years, Riyadh has intensified its efforts to diversify its economy away from oil to other sectors, particularly leisure travel. Last year, the Kingdom also won a bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
“They want to promote their tourism like we want to promote tourism in up north in Pakistan,” Pakistani actor Sanam Saeed told Arab News on the event’s sidelines, adding that Saudi Arabia was a fast-developing nation that is wasopening its culture and architecture to international tourists.
Pakistan, a predominantly Muslim country that has the world’s fifth largest population of over 240 million, stands as one of the priority nations for Saudi Arabia, and the STA said it expected more than 2.8 million Pakistani travelers to visit the Kingdom this year, compared to over 2.7 million who visited last year.
Saeed is one such Pakistani who wishes to travel to the Kingdom soon.
“Saudi is full of new adventures. We can promote it, encourage it and avail all these amazing things that Saudi has to offer,” she said.
“It’s exciting and I wish to visit soon.”
Pakistani talent and travelers are making a significant impact on Saudi Arabia’s thriving tourism and entertainment industries. Last year, Pakistani players dominated the Esports World Cup (EWC) in Riyadh, showcasing their prowess on the global gaming stage, according to the STA.
The recently concluded LEAP tech conference in Riyadh recorded the highest-ever participation of Pakistani exhibitors, highlighting Pakistan’s growing influence in the tech industry, while the Kingdom’s Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) sector has also seen remarkable growth, with 37 Pakistani tourism groups actively engaging in Saudi Arabia’s dynamic event landscape.
Offering seamless travel experiences, the Kingdom’s latest initiatives include group inclusive tours and exclusive Ramadan deals, allowing visitors to experience the spiritual essence of the holy month in an immersive setting. The introduction of e-visa for Umrah pilgrims has further simplified religious travel, granting unrestricted entry to Saudi airports.
Saudi Arabia is also enhancing its accessibility and diverse experiences beyond religious tourism as well as is enhancing travel for various segments, including solo female travelers, destination weddings and cultural exploration, according to the STA.
The Kingdom’s tourism sector accounted for up to 3 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) last year, which Riyadh aims to increase to 10 percent over the next five years by making investments in the tourism sector.
Saeed hailed the cooperation between Pakistani and Saudi stakeholders in the field of tourism, saying it would benefit travelers.
“So, it’s always worth when such a cross-country collaboration takes place and two countries jointly try to do their promotion,” she said. “It is good for travelers.”
Saudi luxury tourist destinations unveiled at Karachi event
https://arab.news/yva54
Saudi luxury tourist destinations unveiled at Karachi event
- The development comes amid Riyadh’s efforts to boost public service sectors to cut the Kingdom’s reliance on oil
- Pakistan, which has the world’s fifth largest population, stands as one of the priority nations for Saudi Arabia
Imran Khan’s party seeks ‘confidence-building measures’ after government’s talks offer
- PTI says access to jailed founding leader essential for talks to be considered credible
- Government says it’s ready for dialogue but nothing will happen until Khan favors the idea
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party said on Saturday it would only consider the government’s offer for talks credible if it is accompanied by “concrete confidence-building measures,” such as unhindered access to its founding leader in a high-security prison in Rawalpindi.
Last month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the government was fully prepared to hold a dialogue with Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to address political polarization that has deepened since the downfall of the PTI administration in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in 2022.
PTI has frequently complained about a state crackdown against its top leadership, including Khan and his wife, who are serving prison sentences in multiple cases ranging from corruption charges to inciting violence against state institutions and attacks on government properties.
Sharif’s offer for talks came amid media reports that PTI wanted a dialogue with the government, though he noted that negotiations would not be allowed to proceed on the basis of “blackmailing” or unlawful demands and would only cater to legitimate issues.
“Announcements of talks, without concrete confidence-building measures, cannot be treated as credible progress,” Azhar Leghari, PTI’s central deputy information secretary, told Arab News.
He recalled that Khan had authorized Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas to carry forward with the dialogue process, adding that talks “require trust, and trust cannot be built at the cost of constitutional rights or democratic legitimacy.”
“For dialogue to be meaningful, it is essential that these authorized representatives are allowed regular and unhindered access to Imran Khan so that any engagement accurately reflects his views and PTI’s collective position,” he added.
Khan’s family, party and legal team have complained in the past they are stopped by the authorities from meeting the ex-PM in prison. Last month, they also raised concerns about his health, prompting the officials to allow one of his sisters to meet him, who said he was fine.
Shortly thereafter, a scathing message was posted on his social media account, criticizing the army chief. Khan’s post elicited a bitter response from the government and the military amid accusations of inciting people against state institutions.
Leghari’s comments came only a day after Rana Sanaullah, adviser to Prime Minister Sharif on political affairs, said PTI’s “second- or third-tier leadership” wanted dialogue, but nothing was going to happen until Khan favored these negotiations.
He also maintained that while the government was ready for talks, “uncertainty and delays from PTI are preventing progress.”
Meanwhile, a newly formed National Dialogue Committee of former PTI leaders told Arab News it had organized a session on Wednesday, January 7, in the federal capital that will bring together all major political parties, journalists, lawyers and representatives of civil society.
“Our goal is to bring political leaders together so that, while discussing their own issues, they can collectively seek solutions to the nation’s challenges,” Mahmood Baqi Moulvi, a Pakistani politician and member of the committee, said.
“The initiative also builds on previous efforts, including a letter to the prime minister requesting confidence-building measures to enable talks with PTI,” he added.
The National Dialogue Committee had urged the government in the letter to grant parole to jailed party figures in Lahore, including former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Dr. Yasmin Rashid, describing the move as vital for building trust ahead of negotiations.
It had also maintained such a step “would not only create an extremely positive, conducive, and trust-filled environment for the negotiations but would also lay a strong foundation for restoring mutual confidence among all stakeholders.”
While the government has also offered dialogue in the past, PTI leaders have conditioned participation on substantive measures, including what they describe as an end to politically motivated prosecutions and arrests, restoration of fundamental rights, respect for judicial independence and a credible roadmap toward free and fair elections.
“Reconciliation is possible, but it must be based on correcting injustices rather than managing optics,” Leghari said. “A genuine reset requires restoring respect for the Constitution, ending political victimization and allowing democratic processes to function without interference.”
Rana Sanaullah and Deputy Law Minister Barrister Aqeel Malik did not respond to requests for comment.
