ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his UAE counterpart Shaikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan will visit Pakistan in early 2019, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Media told Arab News on Friday.
Iftikhar Durrani said that the two royals are expected to visit the country in January and February to help “bolster bilateral and economic relationships”.
He added that both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have shown an interest to invest in Pakistan. “All the deals are expected to materialize during the visits,” he said.
Prime Minister Imran Khan had extended an invitation to the leaders during his recent trips to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Pakistani officials hope the visits will result in the signing of a number of business and investment deals, which could eventually provide a much-needed boost to the South Asian nation’s fragile economy.
Islamabad will seek a “deferred oil payments facility” from the UAE during Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed’s visit to Islamabad in January, Durrani said.
In October, Saudi Arabia had announced plans to extend a deferred oil payment facility worth $3 billion for Pakistan during PM Khan’s trip to the Kingdom. Durrani declined to disclose the sum of assistance from the UAE but added that both Saudi and the UAE would set up billions of dollars’ worth of oil refineries in Pakistan to help the country lower its crude oil exports.
“The federal cabinet on Thursday ratified a MoU (memorandum of understanding) of investment from Saudi Arabia regarding the setting up of an oil refinery in Gwadar,” he said, adding that “when honest leadership comes [into power], the business gets revived”.
Pakistan has improved its “ease of doing business”, while it is the prime minister’s top priority to promote businesses and investments in the country, he said.
Last week, Finance Minister Asad Umar had said that an investment package from Saudi Arabia would be announced soon and that it was going to be “the biggest foreign investment in Pakistan’s history”.
Economists said that Pakistan is going through a transition period to strengthen its economy and secure foreign investments, especially from friendly countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which in turn would help ease pressure on the current accounts deficit.
“Saudi and UAE investments in Pakistan for sure will help create job opportunities and strengthen our fragile economy,” Dr. Athar Ahmad, a senior economist, told Arab News.
Saudi, UAE crown princes to visit Pakistan early next year
Saudi, UAE crown princes to visit Pakistan early next year
- Move expected to boost bilateral and economic ties with both allies
- Economists say investments from Riyadh and Abu Dhabi will help create job opportunities in the country
’Ugly’ England aim to spin their way to World Cup semis ahead of Pakistan clash
- England stuttered with the bat, finishing at 146-9 in their Super Eight clash against Sri Lanka last week
- A win over Pakistan today will be enough to see the 2010 and 2022 T20 World Cup champions into semis
SRI LANKA: England are yet to catch fire at the T20 World Cup, but they won’t mind one bit if another “ugly” win secures Harry Brook’s side a semifinal berth with a game to spare.
England bowled out Sri Lanka for 95 on Sunday to open their Super Eights campaign with a 51-run win.
With the Pakistan-New Zealand clash on Saturday being washed out, a win against Pakistan on Tuesday at the same stadium will be enough to see the 2010 and 2022 T20 World Cup champions into the last four.
England again stuttered with the bat and were restricted to 146-9 by Sri Lanka on Sunday.
“We know that we can play a lot better,” all-rounder Liam Dawson told reporters after the win, in comments only made public on Monday.
“But at the end of the day in tournament cricket, you just need to get the win, however ugly.”
England’s bowlers came to the rescue for the third time in the tournament, after also defending below-par totals against Nepal and Italy.
“The fight we’ve shown with the ball shows that this team is in a very good place,” said Dawson.
Pakistan possess a dangerous spin attack, featuring a unique weapon in Usman Tariq and his pronounced pause before he releases the ball.
But Dawson said England would fight fire with fire with their own potent slow-bowling arsenal.
England captain Brook also has speedster Jofra Archer, the hit-the-deck-hard Jamie Overton and left-arm swing bowler Sam Curran as the seam options.
England’s flexibility enabled Will Jacks to open the bowling with his off-spin on Sunday and destroy Sri Lanka’s top order.
He returned figures of 3-22 in tandem with Archer, who removed both opening batsmen, to leave Sri Lanka in tatters at 34-5 at the end of the six-over power play.
England’s variety offers Brook endless options, said Dawson who bowls left-arm spin, as does Jacob Bethell.
“We’re all very different types of spinners. Jacksy gets very good over-spin, very good bounce.
“Dilly (wrist spinner Adil Rashid) has all these variations and me, I’m probably more of a defensive spinner and that’s my role. I’m just trying to be consistent for the captain.
“Adil can use all of his tricks and he comes on to get wickets and get us back in games or put us ahead in games.
“Obviously, Jacks, he’s been brilliant. He’s exploited conditions here very well.
“And I think the way Brookie captained today was phenomenal, how he used us all differently.”
But Dawson cautioned that the wicket on Tuesday night could play very differently to the tacky slow track they encountered on Sunday, which had sweated under covers after days of rain in Kandy.
“Obviously, a different challenge on Tuesday at a night game. It could be a better wicket. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.”
