ISLAMABAD: Pakistan expects continued visits by high-level business delegations from Saudi Arabia in the upcoming weeks to further explore investment opportunities facilitated under the Special Investment Facilitation Council, the Foreign Office announced on Thursday.

The statement came just days after Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif concluded his visit to Riyadh, where he addressed the two-day World Economic Forum conference.

During his visit, Sharif met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and several Saudi ministers to strengthen bilateral relations and economic partnerships between the two nations.

Prior to his visit to the Kingdom, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan was in Islamabad with a large delegation, saying the Pakistani administration’s resolve to strengthen the economy would yield “significant benefits.”

“Saudi investors have been coming to Pakistan in recent months, and engaged with the SIFC in terms of exploring opportunities for Saudi investments in Pakistan, and this is an ongoing process, and we expect similar high-level business delegations to undertake visits to Pakistan in the coming days and weeks as well,” Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told reporters in her weekly media briefing.

She added that both countries were involved in robust and mutually beneficial dialogue that had gained significant momentum in recent months.

“Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are engaged in consultations with each other in terms of increased Saudi investments in Pakistan, including in the energy domain,” she added.

Asked about reports of Pakistan providing military bases to the US, Baloch called them rumors.

“Pakistani has no plan to provide any bases to a foreign country against any other country,” she said.

Speaking about the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s summit in Gambia, the spokesperson said the country’s deputy prime minister, Ishaq Dar, would highlight the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the imperatives of solidarity and unity of the Muslim ummah, rising Islamophobia, issues of climate change, terrorism, and other contemporary global challenges.

She said Pakistan strongly condemned the escalating violations of human rights by Israel and increasing number of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

“Israel’s actions constitute a breach of international law, including humanitarian laws and other pertinent international laws, and these acts also undermine any prospects of a two-state solution,” she added.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan’s economic cooperation models reflect mutual commitment to prosperity through shared goals in the two countries’ 2030 plans, said the Saudi energy minister.

During the main dialogue session of the third Tashkent International Investment Forum, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman emphasized the distinguished relations between the two nations and the commitment of their leaderships to enhance and develop cooperation in all fields, particularly in the energy sector.

Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev also attended the meeting.

The Saudi minister pointed out that economic cooperation between the two countries serves as a model, especially in light of the “Uzbekistan 2030” strategy and the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, with their similar goals aimed at economic growth, diversification, and sustainable development, reflecting a mutual commitment to building a prosperous future for both nations, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

“The bilateral relations saw a notable advancement subsequent to a meeting between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Mirziyoyev in Riyadh in 2022,” he said.

Prince Abdulaziz stressed the significance of the energy sector in the growing relations between the two nations, particularly in renewable energy, highlighting the substantial involvement of Saudi companies in Uzbekistan, exemplified by ACWA Power.

He elaborated on the investment flowing between the two countries in this domain, eclipsing $14 billion, with the aim of producing over 11 gigawatts of renewable energy electricity, affirming that Uzbekistan has demonstrated a serious commitment to achieving a fair and equitable energy transition, aligning with the Kingdom’s aspirations.

The energy minister further underscored the rational stances jointly embraced by both nations, placing significant emphasis on the critical aspects of energy security, development, and conservation.

He also underscored the two countries’ collaborative roles in addressing climate change through collective endeavors.

Recently, ACWA Power signed a power purchase agreement with the National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan for the Aral five-gigawatt wind power project worth SR18.2 billion ($4.85 billion).

Two weeks ago, ACWA Power announced it had secured an $80 million equity bridge loan from the Bank of China for its projects in Uzbekistan.

The Saudi entity said the fund will boost its Tashkent 200 megawatts solar photovoltaic power plant and 500 MW per hour battery energy storage system project in Uzbekistan.

“This transaction culminated the initial agreement reached during the 3rd BRF (Belt and Road Forum) summit in October 2023, where ACWA Power was represented by its chairman as a keynote speaker,” the company said in a statement.