The governor of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Tuesday urged Saudi Arabia to launch direct Saudi Airlines flights between Peshawar and Madinah, saying the service would benefit the large number of Pakistanis from the province living and working in the Kingdom.
The proposal was made during a meeting between Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Malki in Peshawar, where the two sides discussed bilateral ties and economic cooperation.
“Saudi Airlines flights from Peshawar to Madinah are essential,” Kundi said, according to a statement issued after the meeting.
He said a majority of people from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were serving in the Two Holy Mosques and that the people of Pakistan shared enduring religious and fraternal ties with the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia is home to one of the largest Pakistani expatriate communities, many of whom originate from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Kingdom is also the biggest source of workers’ remittances to Pakistan, while millions of Pakistanis travel there every year for employment as well as the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.
During the meeting, Kundi also briefed the ambassador on the province’s mineral resources, oil and gas reserves and hydropower potential, saying Khyber Pakhtunkhwa supplied the country’s cheapest electricity.
The governor said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were bound by “an unbreakable bond of Islam and friendship,” adding that the hearts of the Pakistani people “beat with Saudi Arabia.”
Al-Malki thanked the governor for the reception and praised his role in promoting a positive image of the province, according to the statement.
“The Saudi government and people are proud of their friendship with Pakistan,” the ambassador was quoted as saying.