More German pilgrims visiting Saudi Arabia, ambassador says

RIYADH: A growing number of German Muslims are undertaking pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia, Germany’s ambassador to the Kingdom said.

Speaking at an event to mark Unity Day, which celebrates the reunification of East and West Germany on Oct. 3, 1990, envoy Michael Kindsgrab told Arab News that Hajj and Umrah were two of the many areas in which Germany and Saudi Arabia were cooperating.

“That is just one example of how we can establish more people-to-people contact,” he said.

As well as marking the 34th anniversary of Unity Day, this year is the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Germany.

Speaking about his work and experiences in the Kingdom, Kindsgrab said: “It’s of course a big honor to be working as German ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and Germany as a country is becoming more and more diverse. It is just the right moment to be here to explore new areas of cooperation.

“It has been the most interesting and exciting posting that I have had in my career and I really look forward to the next year. I also have to say I really enjoy life here, people are enormously nice and enormously interesting.”

The event at the German Embassy in Riyadh featured a variety of activities and booths showcasing German businesses in Saudi Arabia, including the Goethe-Institut and the German International School.

A military band provided entertainment with renditions of popular jazz, rock and pop songs.

On the importance of Unity Day, Kindsgrab said: “For me, the significance is that it was embedded in European unity, because together with German unity we achieved European unity which makes Germany a country at the heart of Europe surrounded by friends.”

Undersecretary of Riyadh Region Faisal Al-Sudairi was among the invited officials, diplomats and representatives of German-Saudi businesses at the embassy event.