I love Madinah, says Pak expat

Pakistani national Shoaib Kareem, a longtime resident of Madinah, works for a Haj operator.
“I came to the Kingdom more than 30 years ago to work as a translator at a Haj-related firm. I worked in this field for more than 20 years. I am happy with my family. Living in the holy city has given me utmost feelings of comfort and tranquility, and there is no doubt that I love this city and would love to stay here,” said Kareem.
Over the past 30 years, Kareem has witnessed the rapid development of Madinah, including the massive expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque. He said he has seen Madinah jump ahead in various fields over the years, and praised the interest and attention of the government and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah in providing the best services to pilgrims and visitors to the city.
“Through my work in this field, I have seen the high quality and wide extent of services that aim to comfort pilgrims, from their time of arrival to the Kingdom until their departure. The biggest evidence of this are the large-scale projects that are under way and are set to be completed soon,” he said.
“The Saudi people are loyal, and I have made numerous Saudi friends over the years with whom I have grown very close,” he said.
About his hobbies and interests, Kareem explained that his main passion is poetry. “I love poetry and I am especially interested in Urdu poems. I have completed four publications of Urdu poetry, as well as having written a number of national songs. I am currently working on writing some short stories as I am particularly interested in Saudi culture,” he stated.