Pakistan signs $375 million syndicated loan with UAE banks

Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, and Tariq Bajwa, former Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, sign an agreement to formalize a $3 billion deposit into an SBP account on January 22, 2019. (Photo courtesy: ADFD)
Updated 29 June 2019
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Pakistan signs $375 million syndicated loan with UAE banks

  • Tranches were fully subscribed by a syndicate of leading UAE banks
  • Emirates NBD Capital Limited is a global coordinator

DUBAI: Pakistan signed a $375 million syndicated loan with banks in the United Arab Emirates in June made up of conventional and Islamic banking tranches, the Pakistani government said on Saturday.
The tranches were fully subscribed by a syndicate of leading UAE banks, the government statement said.
Emirates NBD Capital Limited was global coordinator.
The transaction was anchored and arranged by Commercial Bank of Dubai, Emirates NBD Bank, Noor Bank , Dubai Islamic Bank, Mashreqbank and Sharjah Islamic Bank.


Pakistan forms committee to negotiate financial advisory services for Islamabad airport privatization

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Pakistan forms committee to negotiate financial advisory services for Islamabad airport privatization

  • Committee to engage Asian Development Bank to negotiate terms of financial advisory services agreement, says privatization ministry
  • Inaugurated in 2018, Islamabad airport has faced criticism over construction delays, poor facilities and operational inefficiencies

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Privatization Ministry announced on Wednesday that it has formed a committee to engage the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to negotiate a potential financial advisory services agreement for the privatization of Islamabad International Airport.

The Islamabad International Airport, inaugurated in 2018 at a cost of over $1 billion, has faced criticism over construction delays, poor facilities, and operational inefficiencies.

The Negotiation Committee formed by the Privatization Commission will engage with the ADB to negotiate the terms of a potential Financial Advisory Services Agreement (FASA) for the airport’s privatization, the ministry said. 

“The Negotiation Committee has been mandated to undertake negotiations and submit its recommendations to the Board for consideration and approval, in line with the applicable regulatory framework,” the Privatization Ministry said in a statement. 

The ministry said Islamabad airport operations will be outsourced under a concession model through an open and competitive process to enhance its operational efficiency and improve service delivery standards. 

Pakistan has recently sought to privatize or outsource management of several state-run enterprises under conditions agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of a $7 billion bailout approved in September last year.

Islamabad hopes outsourcing airport operations will bring operational expertise, enhance passenger experience and restore confidence in the aviation sector.

In December 2025, Pakistan’s government successfully privatized its national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), selling 75 percent of its stakes to a consortium led by the Arif Habib Group. 

The group secured a 75 percent stake in the PIA for Rs135 billion ($482 million) after several rounds of bidding, valuing the airline at Rs180 billion ($643 million).

Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said this week the government has handed over 26 state-owned enterprises to the Privatization Commission.