ISLAMABAD: Imran Khan’s media adviser on Sunday praised the “magnanimity” of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for arranging a special plane to fly Pakistan’s prime minister to New York.
Khan “went to Saudi Arabia on a commercial flight,” and the crown prince “offered a special plane to him for his travel from Saudi Arabia to the US,” Iftikhar Durrani told Arab News.
Khan began his week-long visit to the US on Saturday to attend the 74th UN General Assembly (UNGA) and participate in a host of other activities, including a meeting with President Donald Trump. Khan and the crown prince “have chemistry,” said Durrani. “They like each other.”
International relations expert Dr. Mussarrat Amin told Arab News: “Khan’s earlier visit to the US was also arranged by the crown prince, which produced positive results for Pakistan.”
Amin said Saudi Arabia is in a position to help Pakistan in its diplomatic engagements with the Trump administration, which is why Khan visited the Kingdom before flying to New York.
“The Saudis can influence the US to play a mediatory role between Pakistan and India. People in Pakistan expect great things from the Kingdom when it comes to the Kashmir issue,” Amin added. The Pakistani and Indian prime ministers are scheduled to address the UNGA on Sept. 27.
Former Pakistani Ambassador Ali Sarwar Naqvi said the crown prince’s gesture shows the warmth between the two countries, and Khan’s visit to Saudi Arabia ahead of his US trip was significant.
Khan “reached out to the crown prince to stop the escalation of the situation in this region due to India’s actions in Kashmir,” Naqvi told Arab News.
Saudi crown prince arranges special plane for Pakistan PM’s US visit
Saudi crown prince arranges special plane for Pakistan PM’s US visit
- Khan began his week-long visit to the US on Saturday to attend the 74th UN General Assembly (UNGA) and participate in a host of other activities
- Amin said Saudi Arabia is in a position to help Pakistan in its diplomatic engagements with the Trump administration, which is why Khan visited the Kingdom before flying to New York
Alwaleed Philanthropies allocates $15 million for global polio eradication efforts
- The new contribution will support frontline vaccination campaigns, disease surveillance and rapid outbreak response over three years
DAVOS: Alwaleed Philanthropies, chaired by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al-Saud, renewed its commitment to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative on Thursday with a $15 million contribution during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos, Switzerland.
The announcement was made by Princess Lamia Bint Majed Al-Saud, secretary general of Alwaleed Philanthropies, and Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation.
The new contribution will support frontline vaccination campaigns, disease surveillance and rapid outbreak response over three years, helping the program reach children in vulnerable and conflict-ravaged areas through the Gates Philanthropy partners.
The donation comes at a pivotal moment for the global effort to end polio, as the program intensifies operations in the last remaining endemic countries and responds to outbreaks worldwide.
With cases of wild poliovirus now confined to just two countries — Afghanistan and Pakistan — sustained political leadership and financing remain essential to protect hard-won gains and ensure that no child is left behind.
The princess said the contribution “builds on Alwaleed Philanthropies’ long-standing support for global health and its partnership with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, reinforcing the critical role of philanthropy in addressing some of the world’s most complex public health challenges.”
Gates said that polio eradication “is within sight, but the last mile is the hardest.” He added: “Alwaleed Philanthropies’ latest commitment is exactly the kind of leadership the world needs to build a future where no family has to live in fear of polio paralyzing their child.”
Mike McGovern, chair of the Polio Oversight Board, said sustained support enables organizations to reach children in vulnerable and remote communities and to preserve the progress made over the past four decades.
Launched in 1988, the GPEI, led by national governments and supported by its core partners, has reduced polio cases by more than 99 percent and protected over 20 million people from paralysis.
The World Health Organization and UNICEF play a leading role, working alongside governments and communities to sustain access, build trust and ensure that polio eradication efforts reach the most vulnerable children.
