Jeddah

By Shahid Nayeem

Pakistan's newly appointed Consul General in Jeddah, Syed Mustafa Rabbani, held a meeting with representatives of the 'Pakistan Journalists Forum', a local media association that has served the Pakistani community in Saudi Arabia for over thirty-five years. He was accompanied by Consul Welfare Officer Azka Zafar.

The journalist delegation consisted of Chairman Amir Mohammed Khan; President Maaroof Hussain; General Secretary Jameel Rathore; Executive Committee members Mohammad Amil Osmani, Fowzia Khan, Maryam Shahid, and Aman Ullah Khan; as well as former President Shahid Naeem and Former General Secretary Asad Akram.

During the meeting, Consul General of Pakistan, Jeddah, outlined his plans to improve services for the Pakistani community. He stated that his main goals are to provide better facilities at the Consulate and to help Pakistanis understand both Saudi laws and their own legal rights. He asked the media for their support and advice in this work.

Rabbani announced that the Consulate will soon move to a new, modern building. While this move will temporarily pause passport and ID services for five days, emergency services will remain available.

In response, media representatives suggested the Consulate do more to promote Pakistani products, like mangoes, in Saudi markets. They noted that past exhibitions were often held after the fruit's season had ended. The Consul General promised to improve the timing of such events.

He also introduced a new email service to help community members report problems directly to the relevant departments.

On the topic of employment, Rabbani said his team is actively meeting with Saudi companies that need workers. He asked the media forum to inform the Consulate about any job opportunities they hear about.

Regarding investments, he said Pakistanis would be encouraged to invest in their home country.

Rabbani also addressed the issue of Pakistanis in local jails, noting that many are detained for drug-related crimes or unpaid fines. The Consulate uses a welfare fund to help pay some of these fines.

The two-hour meeting included discussions on community issues and future plans. The Consul General mentioned that the new Consulate building will have a dedicated space for meeting journalists.

The media forum thanked Rabbani for his time and hoped for regular meetings in the future.

‘Pakistan Journalists Forum’ Jeddah was established in 1990 jointly by founder Presidents Shahid Naeem and Amir Mohammed.