ISLAMABAD: In a modest Islamabad workshop thick with the scent of enamel paint, artist Muhammad Ejaz Ullah Mughal carefully guided his brush across the curved body of a vintage Vespa scooter, covering the metal in blooming florals, intricate foliage and portraits of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as well as landmarks from the Kingdom.
Mughal, 48, is collaborating with fellow painter Ghulam Shabbir, 65, on the hand-decorated scooter, which will be shipped later this month to a restaurant in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, owned by a Pakistani expat. The display, alongside other examples of Pakistani truck art, is intended as a cultural bridge between the two countries.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia maintain close economic, political and security relations, underpinned by shared religious and cultural connections. The two countries have recently expanded cooperation through agreements on defense and economic coordination.
The connection also runs through personal experience. Both Mughal and Shabbir have previously worked in the Kingdom and say the project carries deeper meaning.
“When I was in Saudi Arabia, I used to write ‘Pak-Saudi Friendship’ [on different things] and gift them to people,” Mughal told Arab News as he painted a floral motif on the Vespa.
