ISLAMABAD: Pakistani planning minister Ahsan Iqbal has said he hoped Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman would visit Pakistan soon and give “new impetus” to economic ties between Riyadh and Islamabad.
During a visit to Pakistan in 2019, the crown prince pledged to invest $20 billion, a figure he said represented only the start of an economic tie-up that would bring the historic Muslim allies even closer.
“I hope the crown prince will visit Pakistan soon and on his visit, we should have a new impetus to economic cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia,” Iqbal said in an interview with Arab News earlier this week.
“Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have very close brotherly relations and these relations are all encompassing in political area, in economic area, in social area, in cultural area and [we have] strong religious connections. So, therefore, we hope that we will have more economic cooperation.”
Pakistan’s planning minister, Ahsan Iqbal (R), speaks to Arab News Pakistan in Islamabad, Pakistan, on September 15, 2022. (AN Photo)
The minister said Pakistan wanted to bolster its politically and diplomatically strong ties with Riyadh by strengthening economic partnerships along the same model as China, which has pledged to invest over $60 billion in energy, infrastructure and agriculture projects in Pakistan under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) scheme.
“Before CPEC we had very strong political relations with China but our economic relationship was relatively weak, but CPEC has transformed that relationship,” Iqbal said.
“Similarly I would also think that we can start a similar initiative with Saudi Arabia that will transform Pakistan and Saudi Arabia relationship into a strong partnership in economic areas. Both countries have great potential to contribute toward each other’s economic development.”
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Qatar on Tuesday agreed to deepen their strategic and economic cooperation during high-level talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Sharif’s office said.
Sharif visited Qatar along with a high-level delegation on the invitation of Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The Pakistani premier also held meetings with Qatar’s trade and defense ministers to discuss cooperation in various domains.
The visit came at a time when Pakistan is seeking closer economic engagement with Gulf partners amid its broader push to stabilize the economy and attract investment, while maintaining security and defense cooperation with key regional states.
During their meeting in Doha, PM Sharif and Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international developments, according to the Pakistan prime minister’s office.
“They reaffirmed the strong brotherly relations between Pakistan and Qatar and expressed satisfaction at the growing momentum in political, economic and institutional ties,” Sharif’s office said.
“Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor and culture, with both sides stressing the importance of their task force to accelerate cooperation in all these areas.”
Pakistan and Qatar maintain strong trade and investment ties. In 2022, the office of Qatar’s emir said the Qatar Investment Authority planned to invest $3 billion in Pakistan, targeting sectors including transport, aviation, education, health, media, technology and labor.
Nearly 300,000 Pakistanis live and work in Qatar, according to Pakistan’s foreign office, with many employed in health, education, engineering and public services, as well as construction and transport. The two countries engage through forums such as the Bilateral Political Consultations and the Joint Ministerial Commission.
Sharif said he had productive discussions with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on how the two sides could transform their brotherly ties into mutually beneficial economic relationships.
“We also took stock of the regional situation,” he said on X. “Pakistan and Qatar will continue to work together for peace and stability in the region and beyond.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (second right) meets the Qatari Emir Qatar’s emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (left) in Doha, Qatar, on February 24, 2026. (PID)
DIALOGUE WITH AFGHANISTAN
Earlier, Sharif and Qatar’s Deputy PM Sheikh Saoud Al-Thani discussed the situation in Afghanistan and called for dialogue to support regional stability.
The meeting took place amid renewed tensions after Islamabad carried out airstrikes last week on what it described as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targets inside Afghanistan. Kabul said the strikes killed civilians and vowed to respond to what it called a violation of its sovereignty.
“Regional developments were also discussed, in particular the situation in Iran and Afghanistan,” Sharif’s office said in a statement. “Both sides emphasized the importance of dialogue, de-escalation and collective efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.”
This was the second time in less than six months that Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan. The last strikes triggered heavy, weeklong clashes between the neighbors along their border before Qatar and Turkiye mediated a ceasefire between them in Oct. last year.
Separately, Sharif held meetings with Qatar’s State Minister for Trade Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed and a delegation of the Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA), highlighting Pakistan’s investment-friendly reforms.
He invited QBA members to explore opportunities in infrastructure, logistics, energy, agriculture, technology and export-oriented manufacturing, his office said.
