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
Pakistan invites investors, innovators to back tech partnerships, announces national AI event
- Indus AI Week 2026 to run Feb. 9–15 as IT minister cites inclusive AI policy launched last year
- The week-long event will bring together relevant officials, startups, investors and universities
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday invited foreign investors and technology innovators to engage with its emerging artificial intelligence ecosystem as the government announced a week-long national AI initiative aimed at accelerating adoption across the public and private sectors.
Federal Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the government would host Indus AI Week 2026 from Feb. 9 to 15, building on Pakistan’s National Artificial Intelligence Policy introduced last year to promote responsible use of the technology.
The announcement comes as Pakistan seeks to position itself as a credible participant in the global AI economy, amid growing interest from governments in the Global South to harness AI for productivity, skills development and innovation while managing regulatory and ethical risks.
“With the introduction of Pakistan’s National AI Policy last year, we laid the foundation for responsible and inclusive AI development,” Khawaja said, according to an official statement circulated by her ministry. “Indus AI Week reflects our determination to take that work further by moving beyond dialogue and toward adoption.”
“We invite international partners, investors and innovators to engage with Pakistan’s growing AI landscape,” she added.
The initiative will be organized by the IT ministry through a public-private partnership and is designed as an open national platform bringing together policymakers, technology firms, startups, universities, students and the wider public.
The program will include a national technology showcase, startup and innovation sessions linking founders with investors, skills training and certification opportunities and public engagement activities aimed at translating AI policy into practical use cases.
The week will open with the Indus AI Summit at Islamabad’s Jinnah Convention Center on Feb. 9, followed by an innovation and learning arena at the Islamabad Sports Complex on Feb. 9-10, with universities, companies and public institutions across the country hosting parallel events through Feb. 15.
