Karachi (Web Desk): The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Tuesday confirmed that the country has received $1 billion from Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Finance, as part of a $3 billion deposit facility arranged with the Kingdom, according to a statement posted on X.
The central bank said the amount was credited “with a value date of 20 April 2026”, under a recently agreed financial arrangement between Islamabad and Riyadh.
It added that this payment represents the second installment of the $3 billion Saudi deposit. The SBP also noted that the first tranche of $2 billion had already been received earlier, with a value date of 15 April 2026.
Officials expect these inflows to help strengthen Pakistan’s external account position by improving foreign exchange reserves, at a time when the country continues efforts to maintain macroeconomic stability.
On April 15, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb had stated that Saudi Arabia had agreed to provide an additional $3 billion in deposits, with the funds expected to be released within the following week.
He also explained that the existing $5 billion Saudi deposit would no longer operate under an annual rollover condition and would instead be extended for a longer duration.
Aurangzeb further said the government remains committed to meeting International Monetary Fund (IMF) requirements, including building reserves to around $18 billion—equivalent to roughly 3.3 months of import cover—by the end of the current fiscal year.
The latest inflow comes at an important time as Pakistan continues to address external financing needs and work toward maintaining reserve targets under its ongoing IMF-supported economic programme.