KARACHI: Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have finalized the Memorandum of Understand (MoU) for the construction of multi-billion dollar Saudi Aramco oil refinery in Gwadar deep seaport city, located in Balochistan province, officials said on Thursday.
Pakistan is expecting to sign a number of investment deals including the construction of mega oil refinery in the month of February in the presence of a high-level Saudi delegation, confirmed Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry.
“The oil refinery project is the biggest investment project of Saudi Arabia in Pakistan,” he added.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have lately expressed renewed interest in enhancing bilateral strategic and trade engagements while the Kingdom also pledged $3 billion in a financial assistant to help Pakistan out of its economic woes.
“A 15-member delegation of Saudi Arabia visited Gwadar from Karachi as part of the finalization process of the MoU for Aramco oil refinery,” Haroon Sharif, Minister of State and Chairman of Pakistan Board of Investment (BoI), told Arab News.
“We have finalized the MoU for the construction of Aramco oil refinery,” Sharif said adding that “overall directions have been agreed upon and the agreement will be signed at an ‘appropriate time’.”
Pakistani authorities expect $15 billion investment from Saudi Arabia after Prime minister Imran Khan chose the Kingdom for his maiden visit and consequently made two official visits.
Earlier, the BoI chief had said that “We are going to sign MoUs with Saudi Aramco and Acwa Power within few weeks. Saudi Aramco is going to set up oil refinery and petrochemical complex in Pakistan while Acwa Power will invest in Pakistan renewable energy sector”, Sharif informed.
As part of the investment plan, the Saudi Aramco will construct petrochemical complex housing multi-billion dollar oil refinery.
“I am expecting around $15 billion investment from Saudi Arabia in the next 3 years. The inflow of investment for oil refinery and petrochemical complex in Pakistan is estimated to be between $6 billion to $10 billion,” BoI Chairman told Arab News.
Pakistan hopes to attract more than $40 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) during the next five years. “We estimate that roughly around $40 billion investment will be made by these three countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE, and China) in the next three to five years,” Sharif had told Arab New during his recent interview.
During the recent visit of the Saudi delegation to Gwadar, the Chairman of Gwadar Port Authority, Dostain Khan Jamaldini, on Wednesday gave a briefing about the current developments including the port, progress on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Gwadar Master Plan.
Pakistan, KSA set to ink multi-billion dollar Aramco oil refinery deal
Pakistan, KSA set to ink multi-billion dollar Aramco oil refinery deal
- MoU for construction of mega oil refinery will be inked in February, says information minister
- Pakistan expects $15 billion investment from Saudi Arabia in the next 3 years
Pakistan warns climate shocks threaten food security, urges water resilience at Berlin forum
- Government cites floods, droughts and heat as major hits to farm output and rural livelihoods
- Pakistan also raises concern over India’s decision to unilaterally suspend Indus Waters Treaty
KARACHI: Pakistan’s food security is under growing threat from increasingly frequent floods, droughts and extreme heat, which have sharply affected agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods, a senior minister said while addressing an international conference on Saturday, emphasizing the need to strengthen water resilience in a climate-stressed region.
Speaking at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) 2026 in Berlin, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain said climate-induced shocks had exposed the vulnerability of Pakistan’s agriculture, which relies heavily on the Indus Basin for food production and employment.
“Climate-induced shocks have severely affected agricultural productivity, rural livelihoods and national food security,” Hussain said, adding that recent floods and prolonged dry spells had reinforced the urgency of shifting toward water resilience.
Pakistan’s food system depends on the Indus river system, which supports agriculture, industry and ecosystems for more than 240 million people. Hussain said water security was fundamental to food security and stressed that cooperation over shared water resources was essential for regional stability.
Addressing transboundary water challenges, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to international water law and described the Indus Waters Treaty as a cornerstone of regional water stability. He expressed concern over India’s April 2025 announcement to unilaterally hold the treaty “in abeyance,” calling the Indus river system a lifeline for Pakistan and urging the international community to support the treaty’s full implementation.
On domestic policy, Hussain said Pakistan was pursuing reforms to improve water productivity through high-efficiency irrigation, climate-smart farming practices and drought- and heat-tolerant seed varieties, alongside ecosystem-based measures such as watershed rehabilitation and groundwater recharge.
He said Pakistan remained ready to work with international partners to advance climate-smart agriculture and inclusive food systems, aiming to transform water from a source of risk into a foundation for sustainable development and peace.
