ISLAMABAD: UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will visit Pakistan on Dec. 26 to review ties between the two nations, exchange views on regional matters and strengthen collaboration with Islamabad in trade, investment, energy and development sectors, the Pakistani foreign office said on Wednesday. 

Al Nayhan, who will undertake his first official visit to Pakistan as the UAE’s president later this week, will arrive with a high-level delegation comprising ministers and senior officials, the foreign office said in a statement. 

“The visit of High Highness reflects the depth of bilateral relations between the two countries and shared commitment of both sides to further enhancing collaboration in key areas, including trade, investment, energy, development and regional stability,” the statement said. 

The UAE president will review the entire spectrum of bilateral ties in a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. 

“The visit will provide an important opportunity to further strengthen the longstanding brotherly relations between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates,” the foreign office noted. 

The announcement from the foreign office takes place a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met UAE Ambassador Salem Mohammed Salem Al Bawab Al Zaabi in Islamabad. The prime minister urged both countries to enhance cooperation in trade and investment. 

Pakistan considers the UAE among its closest economic and regional allies, since the Gulf nation is Islamabad’s third-largest trading partner after China and the US. 

Policymakers in Pakistan consider the UAE an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.

Both nations have signed agreements worth billions of dollars recently as Pakistan eyes greater trade and economic ties with Gulf states. 

In January 2024, Pakistan and the UAE signed multiple agreements worth more than $3 billion for cooperation in railways, economic zones and infrastructure sectors.

The UAE is also a major source of foreign investment in Pakistan, which has been valued at over $10 billion in the last 20 years, according to the UAE’s foreign ministry.