Islamabad, Muscat discuss entry of Pakistanis into Omani workforce market 

Pakistani and Omani officials discuss ways to enhance the presence of workers from the South Asian nation in the Gulf state in a meeting on January 19, 2022 in Muscat, Oman. (Photo courtesy: Pakistan embassy in Oman)
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Updated 20 January 2022
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Islamabad, Muscat discuss entry of Pakistanis into Omani workforce market 

  • Islamabad’s envoy to Muscat and the PM’s former aide on overseas Pakistanis meet with Oman’s labor minister 
  • Under its 2040 vision, Oman seeks to transit from an oil-based one economy into a knowledge-based one

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and Omani officials discussed on Wednesday ways to enhance the presence of workers from the South Asian nation in the Gulf state’s manpower market.

Islamabad’s envoy to Muscat, Ahsan Wagan, and Syed Zulfikar Bukhari, a central leader of Pakistan’s ruling party and the prime mister’s former aide on overseas Pakistanis, met with Omani Labor Minister Mahad bin Said bin Ali Ba’owain.

The Pakistani embassy said in a tweet they discussed “way & means to enhance export of manpower from Pakistan.”

Bukhari told Arab News that Pakistan expects Oman would make ill “make us part of their 2040 mission and to increase man power especially in their port area.”
Under its 2040 vision, Oman is transiting from an oil-based economy toward a more diverse knowledge-based one.

Pakistan has been deepening its ties with the Gulf state recently.

Earlier this month, Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman Redha Al-Saleh headed a business delegation that arrived in Pakistan to enhance bilateral trade and investment cooperation.

The delegation met Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, as well as officials from the Pakistani Ministry of Commerce and Investment, the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the chambers of commerce and industry in the cities of Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore. 

During the visit, Qureshi “encouraged Oman to benefit from skilled manpower potential across diverse sectors,” the foreign office said in a statement. 

“The Foreign Minister invited Omani businesses and the Pakistani diaspora to enter into investment projects and joint ventures in various fields.”

Qureshi also encouraged the Oman side to work with Pakistan to harness the full potential of the regional “economic corridor” that would connect the Gulf state to landlocked Central Asia and Afghanistan.


Pakistan’s finance chief heads to Riyadh to highlight climate funding priorities at global summit

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Pakistan’s finance chief heads to Riyadh to highlight climate funding priorities at global summit

  • Muhammad Aurangzeb will join high-level talks on securing capital for climate adaptation and resilience
  • The visit includes bilateral meetings with senior Saudi officials to deepen bilateral economic cooperation

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb left for Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to attend the Global Development Finance Conference in Riyadh, said an official statement, where he will present Islamabad’s perspective on climate adaptation and financing.

Pakistan is among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, grappling with recurrent floods, heatwaves and rising adaptation costs that far exceed its domestic resources.

Last month, while addressing COP30 in Brazil via video link, Aurangzeb urged reforms to global climate-finance mechanisms, arguing the Green Climate Fund was mired in “bureaucracy” and the Loss and Damage Fund had made little progress four years after its launch.

The finance division said the minister had departed for Riyadh to take part in the conference, a three-day gathering focused on new development-finance models.

“During the conference, Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb will participate in a high-level session on climate adaptation and resilience, where he will join global leaders in discussing how developing countries can secure the capital needed to address climate vulnerabilities,” the statement said.

“His participation will highlight Pakistan’s priorities in climate finance and the government’s efforts to strengthen economic resilience in the face of global environmental challenges,” it added.

Aurangzeb is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with senior Saudi officials, including leadership of the National Development Fund and the Ministry of Finance, to discuss development financing, investment opportunities and broader economic cooperation.

The statement said he will give interviews to international media outlets such as CNN and CGTN to outline Pakistan’s reform trajectory and development-finance needs.

The finance chief will additionally meet Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in Riyadh to review ongoing economic diplomacy initiatives.

The Global Development Finance Conference, organized under the patronage of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, aims to bring together more than 100 speakers from over 120 international and regional organizations.

The conference is positioned as a key platform within Vision 2030 to accelerate innovative financing models and support countries seeking sustainable growth amid rising global climate and development pressures.