Pakistan seeks stronger economic ties with Saudi Arabia, says PM Shehbaz 

Islamabad (Web Desk): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday underscored Pakistan’s desire to deepen its economic engagement with Saudi Arabia, stressing that the two countries should move beyond traditional cooperation and work towards a stronger, mutually advantageous economic alliance.

He expressed these views during a meeting with a high-level Saudi business delegation at the Prime Minister’s House. The delegation’s visit reflects growing efforts by both nations to expand commercial and investment cooperation.

The meeting was attended by several key members of the federal cabinet and senior officials, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain, Minister for Communications Aleem Khan, Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik, Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kiyani, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar Khan, and other senior government representatives.

Welcoming the Saudi delegation, the prime minister recalled the visit of Prince Mansour and a Saudi business team to Pakistan in October 2025. He voiced confidence that the current trip would help advance previous discussions and pave the way for the signing of memorandums of understanding and agreements in a range of sectors.

PM Shehbaz also conveyed his warm regards and best wishes to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, as well as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Prince Mansour thanked the prime minister for the cordial reception and generous hospitality extended to the delegation. He emphasized the Saudi government’s strong commitment, along with the interest of the Kingdom’s private sector, to strengthening business-to-business ties with Pakistan across various fields.

Members of the Saudi delegation highlighted their interest in exploring investment opportunities in infrastructure and development projects, including ports, highways, airport management and outsourcing, energy initiatives, power distribution networks, and the information technology sector.

The prime minister welcomed the Kingdom’s interest in investing across these sectors and noted that agriculture and food security could also serve as important areas for future collaboration, offering significant potential for mutually beneficial ventures.

During the stay, the Saudi delegation will engage with senior government officials and representatives of Pakistan’s private sector to identify new investment opportunities and promote greater Saudi participation in the country’s economy.

These efforts are being undertaken in line with the economic vision championed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.