Islamabad (TDI): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday encouraged the Etisalat Group to explore further investment opportunities across various sectors of Pakistan’s economy, assuring the Emirati telecom giant of full government support.
The prime minister made the remarks during a meeting with a five-member delegation from Etisalat, led by CEO Hatem Dowidar, according to a statement from the PM Office Media Wing.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja and senior officials from the relevant institutions were also present in the meeting.
PM Shehbaz highlighted that the longstanding ties between Pakistan and UAE were based on shared culture, brotherhood, and religious values.
Read More: Pakistan, UAE Strengthen Ties in Education, Workforce Development
He noted that UAE-based companies had been reliable investors in Pakistan’s economy for years.
Reaffirming his government’s commitment to creating an investor-friendly climate, the prime minister said, “We are focused on ensuring ease of doing business and providing every possible facility to foreign investors, including our friends from the UAE.”
Etisalat Group CEO Hatem Dowidar welcomed the government’s efforts to boost investor confidence, praising recent reforms aimed at improving the business environment.
Read More: Pakistan, UAE Sign Three Key MoUs at JMC
He said Etisalat had maintained a strong presence in Pakistan for nearly two decades and remained committed to expanding its footprint.
“Over 10,000 Pakistanis are currently part of our workforce. We see strong potential in Pakistan and are interested in long-term, sustainable investment here,” Dowidar said.
The meeting concluded with both sides expressing optimism about deeper economic collaboration in the near future.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
