ISLAMABAD: Pakistani energy minister Muhammad Hammad Azhar on Tuesday met the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Maliki, and said it was the “perfect” time to invest in the oil refining business in the South Asian nation.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Power and Petroleum, Tabish Gauhar, and the secretary of the Power Division, were also present at the meeting.
“Matters relating to ongoing cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in the energy sector and upcoming visit of thePrime Minister to Saudi Arabia were discussed during the meeting,” the Pakistani energy ministry said in a statement. “Azhar informed the Saudi Ambassador that time is perfect to invest in the Oil Refining business in Pakistan since the demand for oil is increasing. He said that the government is brining a policy to facilitate potential investors in this regard.”
Gauhar briefed the Saudi ambassador on key features of a new proposed oil refining policy that would provide tax, custom duty and tariff-related concessions for investors for a set period.
“Potential investors like Saudi ARMCO can take benefit of the concessions,” Gauhar said.
‘Perfect’ time to invest in oil business in Pakistan, energy minister tells Saudi envoy
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‘Perfect’ time to invest in oil business in Pakistan, energy minister tells Saudi envoy
- Saudi ambassador Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Maliki called on energy minister Hammad Azhar on Tuesday
- Energy sector cooperation and upcoming visit of Pakistani PM to Saudi Arabia discussed
Pakistan organizes second phase of Hajj training for 2026 pilgrims in Islamabad
- Training sessions held to inform pilgrims of various stages of Hajj, precautionary measures, obligatory acts, says state media
- Pilgrims told to improve their physical fitness, keep essential travel documents and vaccination cards ready ahead of Hajj 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs organized the second phase of Hajj training for 2026 pilgrims in Islamabad today, Sunday, state media reported.
Pakistan’s religion ministry kicked off the first phase of the mandatory Hajj trainings last Sunday in Islamabad and other cities. The ministry said the trainings were made mandatory to ensure that intending pilgrims are fully aware of Hajj rituals and administrative procedures.
“Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony organized second phase of Hajj training session for pilgrims in Islamabad today,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
It said the primary objective of the program was to provide awareness about the various stages of the pilgrimage, necessary precautionary measures and the obligatory acts of both Hajj and Umrah.
“Pilgrims were advised to improve their physical fitness by walking 2 to 3 kilometers daily and keep essential travel documents including original passport, CNIC, flight ticket, visa copies and vaccination cards ready,” the state media said.
Intending pilgrims were strictly warned against carrying prohibited items such as narcotics, naswar (smokeless tobacco), cigarettes and unverified medicines.
Saudi Arabia has allocated Pakistan a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2026, of which around 118,000 seats have been reserved under the government scheme while the remainder will be allocated to private tour operators.
Under Pakistan’s Hajj scheme, the estimated cost of the government package ranges from Rs1,150,000 to Rs1,250,000 ($4,049.93 to $4,236), subject to final agreements with service providers.
