Islamabad (TDI): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to Saudi Arabia, starting on Wednesday.
He will meet with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammad Bin Salman to discuss key areas of cooperation and partnership.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will also accompany the Prime Minister.
The visit is expected to revolve around discussions on mutual areas of interest and concern.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia’s relationship go back a long way in history and Pakistan calls it a “strategic partnership.”
🔊: PR NO. 8️⃣0️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣
Curtain Raiser: Prime Minister’s Visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
🔗⬇️https://t.co/OKTxY2oa0W pic.twitter.com/3V6GQLT7gK
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) March 18, 2025
In the official press release regarding the visit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “The visit aims to strengthen bilateral ties, enhance economic cooperation, and promote investment between the two countries.”
It added: “The Prime Minister’s visit underscores the deep-rooted historical relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and will pave the way for increased mutual understanding, enhanced cooperation in trade, investment and greater diplomatic coordination on bilateral, regional and global matters.”
Shehbaz Sharif’s last visit to Saudi Arabia was in October 2024 where he took part in the 8th edition of the Future Investment Initiative summit.
Read More: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia Eye Mining Deals
In addition to bilateral trade and investment, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia extensively cooperate in defense and military sectors, regularly exchanging professional trainings, holding joint exercises, organizing defense level talks, and high-level meetings.
In 2023, Pakistan’s exports to Saudi Arabia were worth $738 million while those of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan were $4.49 billion.
These figures indicate a high volume of trade and interconnectivity between the two countries.
Pakistan, under the premiership of Shehbaz Sharif, is actively looking to expand trade and investment ties with friendly countries.
Moreover, the interests of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan also converge on taking a leadership role in issues that pertain to the Muslim countries of the world, especially Palestine and the Middle East at large.
Nuzhat Rana is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
