Pakistan, Saudi Arabia deepen strategic economic cooperation

The meeting focused on matters of mutual interest and explored avenues for further strengthening cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

RAWALPINDI: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Eng. Abdulrahman Abdulmohsen AlFadley, met with Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces (COAS & CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on Thursday.

The meeting focused on matters of mutual interest and explored avenues for further strengthening cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Field Marshal Asim Munir underscored the longstanding brotherly ties between the two countries and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to deepening their strategic partnership.

During the meeting, the Saudi minister acknowledged Pakistan’s constructive contribution to regional peace and stability. He also expressed Saudi Arabia’s interest in expanding bilateral cooperation, particularly in agriculture and environmental sustainability.

The engagement reflects the shared commitment of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to broaden their longstanding partnership into key areas of mutual interest, including sustainable development and environmental cooperation.

Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed Pakistan’s desire to transform its longstanding relationship with Saudi Arabia into a mutually beneficial strategic economic partnership, in line with the vision of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.

The Prime Minister made the remarks during a meeting with a high-level Saudi business delegation headed by Prince Mansour bin Mohammad Al Saud, Chairman of the Saudi-Pak Joint Business Council, at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz conveyed his regards to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He highlighted the deep-rooted brotherly relations between the two countries and stressed the need to expand bilateral trade, investment and economic cooperation.

The prime minister expressed hope that Prince Mansour’s latest visit would build upon earlier discussions and lead to the signing of memoranda of understanding and agreements in several sectors. He described the current period as an ideal opportunity to strengthen cooperation through both government-to-government and business-to-business partnerships.

The Saudi delegation showed interest in investment opportunities across a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, ports, highways, airport outsourcing, real estate, energy, power distribution and information technology. Prime Minister Shehbaz welcomed the proposals and assured the delegation of Pakistan’s support for mutually beneficial investment ventures.

Prince Mansour thanked the prime minister for the warm reception and reaffirmed the Saudi government’s and business community’s commitment to expanding business-to-business ties with Pakistan. During its visit, the delegation is also scheduled to hold meetings with senior government officials and representatives of the private sector.