Former Ambassador Alaudeen Alaskary has retired from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but continues to serve the government as consultant at the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA).

He is working as international adviser to Prince Sultan bin Salman, president and chairman of the SCTA.

“My job involves promoting local tourism among the 8 million-plus expats in Saudi Arabia,” he said at a Greek tourism workshop.

Alaskary urges expats to visit all the Kingdom’s tourist spots, many of which have been developed under the auspices of the SCTA.

Part of his job includes developing a strong relationship with diplomats and examining carefully all agreements by the SCTA with different countries.

He enjoys the job, which enables him to go around and be active as he was while holding different positions including being the deputy foreign minister for protocol affairs, besides holding other but equally important posts.

Aged 69 now, he said: “It was good for me to retire from the service after 42 years. Of course, it was also a great pleasure to serve the government in many posts.”

In becoming an ambassador he followed in the footsteps of his father, who was the first Saudi consul general in Egypt. His education was in the US at Saint Louis University in Missouri for both his undergraduate degree and Master of Science in electrical engineering. “I finished both degrees in four-and-a-half years,” he said.