ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia on the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to attend a two-day World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Riyadh starting April 28, the foreign office of Pakistan said on Friday.

The two countries share cordial relations and have witnessed high-level official exchanges in recent years to further consolidate their ties, with Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan visiting Pakistan earlier this month to discuss a spectrum of issues with the administration in Islamabad.

Prior to that, the Pakistani prime minister met the Saudi crown prince in Makkah to discuss the kingdom’s commitment to expedite its investments worth $5 billion.

“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar will attend the World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy to be held in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from 28-29 April 2024,” foreign office spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, said during her weekly media briefing.

“They have received the invitations from HRH Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Professor Klaus Schwab, the Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum,” she continued.

Baloch said the occasion would allow the Pakistani delegation to interact with foreign leaders and heads of international organizations.

“The high-level participation in the Forum will afford an important opportunity to present Pakistan’s priorities specifically in global health architecture, inclusive growth, revitalizing regional collaboration and the need for striking a balance between promoting growth and energy consumption,” she added.

The prime minister will also attend the 15th session of the Islamic Summit Conference organized by the OIC on May 4-5 in the Gambian capital of Banjul to discuss a variety of regional and global issues, including Palestine, Islamophobia, climate change and the status of minorities, state-run APP reported.

The session will be held under the slogan “Enhancing Unity and Solidarity through Dialogue for Sustainable Development,” according to a press release issued by the OIC General Secretariat.

The Islamic Summit Conference attended by Sharif will be preceded by a preparatory meeting of senior officials on April 30 and May 1, who will discuss the documents of the session and submit a report to a preparatory meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM).

“The preparatory CFM meeting will be held on May 1-2 to consider the results of the senior officials meeting and in turn, submit its report to the Summit,” the OIC said.

“Leaders of the member states will discuss the political issues of the Islamic world, most notably the Palestinian cause, and the economic, humanitarian, social and cultural issues, in addition to the issues of youth, women, family, science and technology, information, Muslim communities and minorities in non-OIC member states, and legal matters,” the OIC said.

The Summit will also tackle issues related to hate speech and Islamophobia, the promotion of dialogue, climate change and food security.

“The 15th session will issue a final communique that includes the OIC positions on the issues submitted to the Summit, a resolution on Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif, and the Banjul Declaration,” the OIC added.

The Islamic Summit is a principal organ of the OIC focused on the formulation, development, and implementation of decisions made by 57 member states. The Summit is attended by concerned heads of state such as prime ministers, presidents, emirs and other equivalent heads.

ISLAMABAD: British-Pakistani racer Enaam Ahmed achieved a ground-breaking milestone this week by securing Pakistan’s first-ever top 4 finish at the Nations Cup in the Dubai 12-Hour Endurance Karting Race.
Ahmed, 24, was born to Pakistani parents in London where he started racing on Go-Kart tracks while he was eight. His passion grew with time, and he ultimately became the British Formula Champion at 12 and a European and World Champion at the age of 14. He is currently in the American Formula 3 league, before which he was car racing in the British Formula 3 and became a champion at 17.
For the Dubai tournament, Ahmed told Pakistan’s Geo News he chose the “two most talented drivers from Pakistan” to make team Pakistan, namely Maz Chughtai and Shamiq Saeed. 
In the qualifying round, Pakistan managed to secure 2nd place in the Nations Cup and 4th overall against 30 of the best endurance teams from around the world. Team Pakistan then delivered a historic top-4 finish, but also won over archrivals India with an impressive 9-lap lead even after dropping to 30th place due to an unlucky puncture. 
“It’s an honor to represent Pakistan and to achieve this milestone alongside my teammates,” he told reporters. “We worked tirelessly to make our country proud, and to also secure a commanding victory over India adds an extra layer of satisfaction to our accomplishment … This victory not only underscores Pakistan’s prowess in motorsports but also opens a new chapter whereby a new generation of drivers will be inspired.”
Speaking to Arab News in an interview in 2022, Ahmed said what inspired him was a desire to “change the way the world perceives our country [Pakistan] and the Muslim world, in terms of sports.”
“Representing the country [Pakistan] is what gives me the power, what gives me the motivation to succeed ... What keeps me going is this burning ambition to prove that we can be the best.”
While Ahmed has traveled and raced in some top teams and against some of the best drivers in the world, he also had to face racism initially as a rare person of color alongside the black British driver, Lewis Hamilton, who had inspired him to enter the profession in the first place. Ahmed has also found it difficult to find good sponsors, which he said was the reason he missed the chance of getting into Formula 2 in Europe.
“There were moments when I didn’t want to give up but it was looking like I would have to give up because there was no option,” he said. “There were some situations when I didn’t have a sponsor one week before a race, but I always found a way.”
Despite the odds, there has been no looking back for Ahmed, who has never lost a race and always finishes in the top three.
“I have always done things to be the best or nothing,” he said. “I don’t do things just to take part or come second or third. I am here to win.”
Speaking about his special connection with Pakistan, he said he was “put on this earth to race for Pakistan and become a champion.”
“I have two biggest motivations: One is to make my country proud and raise the flag of Pakistan the highest it has ever been, and to relieve my parents, my family of work.”
Ahmed is also on the Road to Indy series, a racecar driver development program that provided a scholarship-funded path to reach the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500.