The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh hosted a Diplomatic Reception in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of the Philippines and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The reception was held on December 18, 2019 at the King Fahd Cultural Theater.
Philippine Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HE Adnan V. Alonto led the Philippines Embassy officials in welcoming ambassadors, heads of missions, other officials and members of the Diplomatic Corp in Riyadh, as well as Saudi officials led by the Deputy Emir of Riyadh Province, HE Faisal Alsodairi who was also the guest of honor for the evening.
In his speech, Ambassador Alonto underscored the strong bilateral relations between the Philippines and Saudi Arabia saying that the people of the two countries had been enjoying relations prior to the establishment of formal diplomatic relations. The Ambassador said that the Kingdom is now home to Overseas Filipino Works comprising about 1% of the total Philippine population, and have been an integral part of the transformation of Saudi Arabia into an economic power. Both countries have supported each other in various international and multilateral bodies. The Ambassador then thanked Saudi Arabia for the Kingdom’s support for the peace process in Mindanao in the Southern Philippines.
A short presentation highlighting the key moments and milestones in the diplomatic relations of the 2 countries were shown. Guests were treated to a cocktail live performances of Jasmine Roa, a Saudi-based Filipina musician, and an all-Saudi band from Music Station Entertainment.
The reception culminated in a special performance entitled “Pangarap Arts Festival”, a collaborative performance consisting of traditional and contemporary dance, music, and audio-visual numbers from the artists group Para sa Sining.
