Ali El Ashiry, Egyptian Consul General, during the roundtable discussion with journalists in Jeddah. — SG photo Samar Yahya Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Ali El Ashiry, Egypt's Consul General in Jeddah, met with a group of journalists on his last working day before leaving for Cairo, ending a remarkable four-year tour of duty in the Kingdom. The last 18 months were a major signpost in El Ashiry's illustrious career. Half of the time he spent at the Jeddah mission was after the Jan. 25 revolution that rewrote Egypt's history. He supervised preparations for absentee balloting in the first post-revolution parliament elections and two rounds of presidential elections at the country's missions in the Kingdom, which hosts the largest Egyptian diaspora. During the pre-election preparatory period as well as in the days of voting, El Ashiry was seen mixing with the public without the posture of a high-level diplomat. He interacted with people in a humble manner making sure none of his compatriots faced any obstacles in fulfilling a most important civic duty. At the roundtable meeting with journalists on his last day at the consulate, El Ashiry discussed diverse issues and shed light on the consulate's activities over the past four years. El Ashiry said Saudi Arabia hosts the biggest Egyptian foreign community worldwide. He said the long-standing Saudi-Egyptian relations are set to grow further. President Mohamed Morsi's first foreign trip after he was sworn into office was to Saudi Arabia, where he was given a warm welcome by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and other senior princes and officials, Al Eshiry pointed out. He called on Egyptian workers who encounter problems with their employers to approach the consulate at an early stage so as not to complicate their cases. Emphasizing the importance of involving the consulate in the early stages of labor disputes, he said many cases were sorted out amicably in the spirit of reconciliation to the satisfaction of both Saudi employers and the workers. Al Eshiry said he was saddened by the increasing number of family disputes that reach the consulate lately. He called on Egyptian couples living in Saudi Arabia to try and mend minor differences between them within the family itself or with the help of their relatives and friends and not to drag the consulate staff or the Saudi courts into their personal lives, which would only aggravate the problems. El Ashiry said another matter of grave concern for him was the violators of residency regulations in the Kingdom. He said the consulate had been making utmost efforts to put an end to this phenomenon. Referring to the strong bond linking the Saudis and Egyptians, he confirmed officials of both countries respect the age-old social and family relations between the two peoples. Talking about preparations for the upcoming Haj, El Ashiry said some 77,000 Egyptians are expected to perform the annual pilgrimage this year and an official delegation was to arrive in Jeddah shortly to make arrangements for them. “The consulate staff look after the welfare of Egyptians living not only in Jeddah but also the entire western region of Saudi Arabia. But it is sad to note that the media focus has always been on problems and shortcomings. As a matter of fact, journalists consistently fail to highlight the achievements of the consulate staff," said the diplomat. Mohammad Abu El-Eish, chairman of the Egyptian media association, commended an important achievement by the consulate recently — the opening of Egyptian schools in the Kingdom. This was a long-time demand by the Egyptian community and Al-Eish praised the role played by the consulate in Jeddah and the embassy in Riyadh in making this dream a reality. El Ashiry appreciated the role of 26 Egyptian professional associations in Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah and their contributions to the community in various fields. He had special compliments for the Egyptian media association and the “Egyptian Home" magazine that it brings out in liaison with the consulate and community members. He also praised the role played by the Egyptian engineers' association, which presented the blueprint of a mega investment project to President Morsi during his recent visit to the Kingdom. The association members discussed with the president the mechanism to implement the milestone project by Egyptian expatriates. The Jeddah consulate was the country's first foreign mission to host the newly elected president.
