ISLAMABAD/RIYADH: The Saudi-Pakistan Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) met in Islamabad on Tuesday to boost economic, investment and trade cooperation.
Attendees included senior officials from ministries of both countries, and the Saudi delegation was led by Commerce and Investment Minister Majid Al-Qassabi, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Faisal said.
Pakistan’s ambassador in Riyadh, Khan Hasham bin Saddique, told Arab News: “The meeting of the Joint Ministerial Commission signifies the continued and close ties of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.”
The JMC was an important platform to review, deepen and diversify bilateral relations, in particular trade, investment and cultural relations, he said. It provided an overarching framework for progress on a short- and long-term basis.
“As Saudi Arabia successfully implements its Vision 2030 and Pakistan is set to accrue a huge developmental boost as a result of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), both countries have much to gain from their close collaboration,” he said.
Bin Saddique said that while the 11th session of the JMC was a continuation of close ties over decades, its timing, context and potential could turn it into a milestone event.
“We hope that through this forum, the two countries will be able to synergize their efforts to address their developmental needs,” he said. “The political will to do so already exists, as is evident from the high-level visits that have taken place in the recent past. Now it is up to the senior officials of the two countries to carry forward the vision of our leadership.”
Both sides agreed to simplify business-to-business interaction. Some 90 percent of Pakistan’s imports from Saudi Arabia are oil and petroleum products. Annual bilateral trade is around $2.5 billion, the Pakistani embassy in Riyadh said last year.
Economic cooperation on menu at Saudi-Pakistani Joint Ministerial Commission meeting
Economic cooperation on menu at Saudi-Pakistani Joint Ministerial Commission meeting
Saudi Arabia champions AI and sustainable growth at UN tourism meeting in Kuwait
- Saudi Tourism Minister says tourism today accounts for approximately 10 percent of the world economy, contributing about $10 trillion to global GDP
KUWAIT CITY: Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb has called for stronger international cooperation to build a tourism ecosystem that is integrated, resilient, and future-ready, the Saudi Press Agency reported Thursday.
In a opening address at the 52nd UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East in Kuwait City, he noted that tourism is “no longer a peripheral activity but a massive engine of economic development.”
“With an estimated contribution exceeding $10 trillion to global GDP, tourism today accounts for approximately 10 percent of the world economy,” said Al-Khateeb, speaking as president of the 26th UN Tourism General Assembly. The three-day conference opened on Feb. 10.
He pointed to the Middle East’s exceptional recovery, which recorded a 39 percent increase in international arrivals in 2025 compared to 2019, welcoming nearly 100 million visitors last year.
The minister highlighted Saudi Arabia’s driving force behind these regional statistics, noting that the Kingdom now represents approximately 30% of the Middle East tourism market in both visitor numbers and spending.
“We are proud that Saudi tourism’s uninterrupted growth has become a driving force for regional tourism, and we look forward to continuing our close cooperation with UN Tourism to share our expertise with the world,” he said.
Focus on AI
Addressing the meeting’s central theme of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Al-Khateeb emphasized the need for responsible innovation. He described AI as a key enabler for growth but stressed that the “human touch” defining the hospitality sector must be maintained and the workforce protected.
On the sidelines of the regional commission, the minister met with counterparts from across the region to explore ways to promote regional cooperation and alignment to enhance resilience and build tourism industries that can drive inclusive economic and social development.
Al-Khateeb also met with leading investors from Kuwait to discuss investments in the Kingdom’s tourism sector and explore new opportunities to leverage Saudi Arabia’s integrated investment ecosystem, designed to enable regional and international investors to achieve sustainable, long-term value.
The 52nd UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East is the first held in the region since the 26th UN Tourism General Assembly, hosted in Riyadh last November.
That assembly resulted in the historic “Riyadh Declaration on the Future of Tourism,” which established a global consensus on sustainability, inclusive growth, and the responsible adoption of human-centric AI for the next fifty years.
