ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia will help Pakistan arrange the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s meeting on Kashmir in Islamabad, said the Kingdom’s envoy to the country, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, while giving an exclusive interview to Arab News on Thursday.
“The case of Kashmir is very important and the chairman of Saudi Shoura Council, Dr. Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al-Sheikh, has called for an OIC conference on Kashmir in Pakistan,” Al-Malki said.
“The delegation of the Saudi Shoura Council met with the Saudi-Pakistani Parliamentary Friendship Committee before interacting with the speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly and the chairman of the Senate,” the Saudi envoy continued while informing that the delegation had discussed economic relations between the two brotherly countries.
Al-Malki said the speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly would travel to Saudi Arabia on a reciprocal visit by the end of the month.
One of the members of the Saudi delegation, Osama Abdul Aziz Al Rabiah, said the two sides had discussed ways and means to strengthen relations between the Saudi Shoura Council and the National Assembly of Pakistan.
“We have agreed to sign an MoU [Memorandum of Understanding] to strengthen relations between the two countries’ parliaments during the upcoming visit of National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser to Saudi Arabia later this month,” he told Arab News while reiterating that Saudi Arabia would not only attend but also support Pakistan with the OIC meeting on Kashmir in Islamabad.
“We have also been informed about many business opportunities in Pakistan which we will share with Saudi companies,” he added while praising expat Pakistanis in his country by saying: “Saudis give special respect to the Pakistani community in the Kingdom.”
The Pakistani convener of the parliamentary friendship group, Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, said both sides had discussed several areas of cooperation, but special focus remained on investment opportunities in Pakistan in the fields of tourism, infrastructure development, agriculture and other businesses.
“We had informative meetings with the delegation. We have shared with its members details of improved security situation in Pakistan and how it has increased business opportunities in the country,” Khan told Arab News, adding: “We have discussed the Kashmir issue in detail and they gave us a very strong response by saying that Saudi Arabia was ready to help Pakistan on the issue, whether it was in the international arena or anywhere else. This was very encouraging for us.”
Saudi Arabia to call OIC meeting on Kashmir in Islamabad, says envoy
Saudi Arabia to call OIC meeting on Kashmir in Islamabad, says envoy
- The Kingdom will sign an MoU with Pakistan to strengthen relations between their parliaments in Riyadh later this month
- Pakistanis apprise the visiting Saudis about investment opportunities in their country
Pakistan to send over 10,000 workers to Italy over three years after securing employment quota
- Government says Italy will admit 3,500 workers annually under seasonal and non-seasonal labor schemes
- It calls the deal a 'milestone' as Italy becomes the first European country to allocate job quota for Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has secured a quota of 10,500 jobs from Italy over the next three years, an official statement said on Saturday, opening legal employment pathways for Pakistani workers in Europe under Italy’s seasonal and non-seasonal labor programs.
Under the arrangement, 3,500 Pakistani workers will be employed in Italy each year, including 1,500 seasonal workers hired for time-bound roles, and 2,000 non-seasonal workers for longer-term employment across sectors.
The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development said Italy is the first European country to allocate a dedicated labor quota to Pakistan, describing the move as a milestone in Pakistan’s efforts to expand overseas employment opportunities beyond traditional labor markets in the Middle East.
“After prolonged efforts, doors to employment for the Pakistani workforce in Italy are about to open,” Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain said, calling the quota allocation a “historic milestone.”
The jobs will be available across multiple sectors, including shipbreaking, hospitality, healthcare and agriculture, with opportunities for skilled and semi-skilled workers in professions such as welding, technical trades, food services, housekeeping, nursing, medical technology and farming.
The agreement comes as Pakistan seeks to diversify overseas employment destinations for its workforce and increase remittance inflows, which remain a key source of foreign exchange for the country’s economy.
The ministry said a second meeting of the Pakistan-Italy Joint Working Group on labor cooperation is scheduled to be held in Islamabad in February 2026, where implementation and future cooperation are expected to be discussed.
