Several Arab students won first prize in a Pakistani cultural dance contest held at a local school recently as part of the Saudi-Pakistan Friendship Program.

The World Muslim Congress (WMC) also honored several other students, teachers and Saudi journalists at the event held at the Pakistan International School Jeddah-English Section (PISJ-ES).

The program started with a recital from the Holy Qur’an, and the singing of the national anthems of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

The Arab students of Al-Hukma International School, who performed the cultural dances of four Pakistani provinces, won the first prize. Pakistan Consul General Aftab Ahmed Khokhar and Tanweer Zaman, director of the WMC, awarded the prizes and praised the students for their performance.

The winners of the second and third places also received shields. Other participating students were awarded appreciation certificates. The teachers and best schools also received certificates and trophies.

Khokhar thanked the organizers for their efforts, especially Abdullah Omar Naseef, the WMC chief.

Khokhar and Zaman also handed out prizes to those who made the best models and posters of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Zaman said these programs would continue and that a special souvenir of the event would be published soon. The poster trophy winners were Mohammed Humaid, Mohib Mostafa from PISJ-ES, and Ayesha Noor from Hala International School.

The other students who received certificates included Umair Malik from Hala, Alina Mirza from PISJ-ES, Faisal Abdullah from Hukma, Mohammed Ahmed from PISJ-ES, Abeer Faheem from Hukma, Ayesha Noor from Hukma, and Ozair Ali from Hukma. Winners of the model competition were Samia Malik, Maha Sibir and Muna Farooqi from Hala in first place, and Zainab Abdullah Qadi and Soman Mohammed from Hukma in second place.

The rest of the winners were Imran Younes from Hukma, Neha Shah from Hala, Abdullah Zahid from PISJ-ES, Hattan Hamed from Hala, Umaer Kashif from Hukma, and Nada Abdul Hakim.