ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan will leave for Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a two-day business conference in Riyadh with an aim to highlight the country’s economic potential and procure investments.
The meeting for the Future Investment Initiative (FII), to be held from October 23 to 25, will look at “projecting Pakistan’s economic and investment potential”, a statement released by the Foreign Office read on Friday.
“The conference provides an opportunity to interact with important business leaders who are interested in investing in Pakistan,” the Foreign Office said, adding that PM Khan will be attending the conference on the special invitation of King Salman and was also expected to share his vision for Pakistan, for the next five years, with the group members.
The conference termed as “Davos in the desert” will host leading businesspersons, investors, corporate giants, representatives of hi-tech industry and major media outlets in one platform.
PM Khan will also call upon King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss “matters of mutual interest.” “The FII is now an annual feature in Saudi Arabia. The first FII was held last year, with the participation of 3,800 people from 90 countries. This year’s conference is also likely to attract a large number leading figures,” the statement read.
The Prime Minister’s participation in the conference “signifies our solidarity with the Kingdom in its efforts to become an emerging hub for international business and investment.”
Earlier, Pakistan’s ruling party’s head of public relations, Azhar Laghari, also confirmed to Arab News that the PM would be visiting Saudi Arabia from Monday. “Good things will come up (during the visit)… and a lot of things will get materialized,” he had said at the time.
This is PM Khan’s second visit to the Kingdom in less than a month, after he toured the country during his first foreign trip on September 18, after assuming office in August this year.
Dr. Athar Ahmed, a renowned economist, said that the prime minister could use the conference as a platform to highlight investment opportunities in Pakistan and offer incentives to leading business companies and investors.
“The FII is going to be one of the world’s biggest business conferences and Pakistan should utilize the platform to attract foreign direct investment,” he told Arab News.
Ahmed suggested that the Pakistani delegation should seek investment, trade and economic cooperation from the Gulf countries to overcome its looming economic crisis instead of a proposed bailout package by the International Monetary Fund.
PM Khan to attend Saudi business conference
PM Khan to attend Saudi business conference
- Participation aimed at luring investors to the country
- Will also call upon King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
Qatar, Pakistan resolve to boost strategic, economic cooperation at Doha talks
- Both countries urge dialogue on Afghanistan amid renewed border tensions between Islamabad and Kabul
- Discussions focus on bilateral trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor and culture
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Qatar on Tuesday agreed to deepen their strategic and economic cooperation during high-level talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Sharif’s office said.
Sharif visited Qatar along with a high-level delegation on the invitation of Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The Pakistani premier also held meetings with Qatar’s trade and defense ministers to discuss cooperation in various domains.
The visit came at a time when Pakistan is seeking closer economic engagement with Gulf partners amid its broader push to stabilize the economy and attract investment, while maintaining security and defense cooperation with key regional states.
During their meeting in Doha, PM Sharif and Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international developments, according to the Pakistan prime minister’s office.
“They reaffirmed the strong brotherly relations between Pakistan and Qatar and expressed satisfaction at the growing momentum in political, economic and institutional ties,” Sharif’s office said.
“Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor and culture, with both sides stressing the importance of their task force to accelerate cooperation in all these areas.”
Pakistan and Qatar maintain strong trade and investment ties. In 2022, the office of Qatar’s emir said the Qatar Investment Authority planned to invest $3 billion in Pakistan, targeting sectors including transport, aviation, education, health, media, technology and labor.
Nearly 300,000 Pakistanis live and work in Qatar, according to Pakistan’s foreign office, with many employed in health, education, engineering and public services, as well as construction and transport. The two countries engage through forums such as the Bilateral Political Consultations and the Joint Ministerial Commission.
Sharif said he had productive discussions with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on how the two sides could transform their brotherly ties into mutually beneficial economic relationships.
“We also took stock of the regional situation,” he said on X. “Pakistan and Qatar will continue to work together for peace and stability in the region and beyond.”
DIALOGUE WITH AFGHANISTAN
Earlier, Sharif and Qatar’s Deputy PM Sheikh Saoud Al-Thani discussed the situation in Afghanistan and called for dialogue to support regional stability.
The meeting took place amid renewed tensions after Islamabad carried out airstrikes last week on what it described as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targets inside Afghanistan. Kabul said the strikes killed civilians and vowed to respond to what it called a violation of its sovereignty.
“Regional developments were also discussed, in particular the situation in Iran and Afghanistan,” Sharif’s office said in a statement. “Both sides emphasized the importance of dialogue, de-escalation and collective efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.”
This was the second time in less than six months that Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan. The last strikes triggered heavy, weeklong clashes between the neighbors along their border before Qatar and Turkiye mediated a ceasefire between them in Oct. last year.
Separately, Sharif held meetings with Qatar’s State Minister for Trade Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed and a delegation of the Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA), highlighting Pakistan’s investment-friendly reforms.
He invited QBA members to explore opportunities in infrastructure, logistics, energy, agriculture, technology and export-oriented manufacturing, his office said.
