ISLAMABAD: Pakistan was rescheduling flights, blocking-off luxury hotels, and — according to one report Friday — collecting 3,500 pigeons and colorful balloons to release during a welcome ceremony for Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Islamabad is hoping to sign a raft of investment deals and other agreements during the two-day visit, which begins Saturday and will include talks with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan and the powerful army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Banners heralding the crown prince were already lining the streets of the capital Friday, while the Express Tribune newspaper reported that authorities were trying to catch so many pigeons for a welcome ceremony that they were forced to collect birds from other cities.
Police, the armed forces, and the Saudi Royal Guards will provide security, a senior Islamabad police official told AFP.
The capital’s “red zone,” which houses Parliament House and the Presidency, was to be sealed off, while civil aviation authorities have been told to reschedule flights during the prince’s arrival and departure.
Authorities in the capital said two five-star hotels had been ordered to cancel all advance bookings as the rooms will be reserved for the prince’s entourage.
Earlier in the week local media reported that the crown prince’s personal belongings — including luxury vehicles and his own gym — were flown to Pakistan in two C130 airplanes.
The visit came as regional tensions spiked after neighboring India accused Islamabad of harboring militants behind a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
At least 41 paramilitary troops were killed in a suicide blast Thursday, with Indian media reporting that the Pakistan-based Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed had claimed responsibility.
Saudi Arabia is reportedly preparing to sign a record investment package with Pakistan, including a $10-billion refinery and oil complex for the strategic Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea.
Pakistan’s foreign office spokesman said Islamabad is seeking to sign a number of other deals, including one “combating organized crime.”
Khan has been courting its Gulf allies for months as he seeks to stave off an ongoing balance of payments crisis and reduce the size of any potential bailout from the International Monetary Fund.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have together offered Islamabad some $30 billion in investment and loans.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are also participating in talks with the US and other countries seeking to bring the Taliban to the table for peace negotiations with Kabul after more than 17 years of war.
The Taliban have claimed their representatives will visit Islamabad on Monday, after Salman leaves.
Pakistan gets ready to woo Saudi crown prince
Pakistan gets ready to woo Saudi crown prince
- Pakistan is collecting 3,500 pigeons and colorful balloons to release during a welcome ceremony for Saudi Crown Prince
- Pakistan expects to sign multiple investment deals and other agreements during the two-day visit
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan discuss green initiatives, climate cooperation in Riyadh
- Pakistan seeks Saudi support for desert reclamation, afforestation and carbon-offset projects as climate risks intensify
- Both countries signed an MoU in 2022 covering environmental areas ranging from biodiversity to air-quality monitoring
ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on Tuesday discussed enhancing cooperation on environmental and climate action, with a particular focus on the Kingdom’s Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative, during talks between senior officials in Riyadh.
Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir met Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Musadik Masood Malik, as the two sides reviewed avenues for collaboration on climate change and related international efforts, according to an official statement released in Riyadh.
The Saudi Green Initiative is the Kingdom’s national climate program aimed at cutting emissions, expanding renewable energy and planting billions of trees, while the Middle East Green Initiative, launched in 2021, seeks to coordinate regional action on climate change, including large-scale afforestation and land restoration across the Middle East and North Africa.
Malik told Arab News in an interview in July his ministry was seeking Saudi Arabia’s support for comprehensive climate projects, including desert reclamation, afforestation and carbon-offset initiatives, as Islamabad grapples with worsening climate-related challenges.
“Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Member of the Council of Ministers, and Envoy for Climate H.E. @AdelAljubeir received Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Dr. Musadik Masood Malik,” the Saudi foreign ministry said in a social media post.
“During the meeting, the two sides discussed avenues for cooperation in environmental and climate change,” it added. “They also reviewed the Kingdom’s initiatives in this regard, particularly the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative, as well as international efforts addressed in this regard.”
Pakistan has about 4.2 million hectares of forest and planted trees — roughly 4.8 percent of its land area — according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, and is focusing on combating desertification through afforestation, water management and sustainable agricultural practices.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, has positioned itself as a leading player in global climate diplomacy.
Pakistan, one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Kingdom in 2022 to cooperate in nine environmental areas, including pollution control, nature protection, forestry, biodiversity, desertification, hazardous waste management, marine conservation, air-quality monitoring and environmental training exchanges.
Malik is currently visiting Riyadh to attend the 11th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), a UN platform that promotes dialogue, tolerance and interfaith harmony.
Pakistan’s embassy said he reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to countering intolerance and racism and reiterated support for UNAOC initiatives while addressing the forum.
