Pakistan expresses best wishes for Saudi national football team during FIFA World Cup

Saudi Arabia's players pose for a group picture ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group C football match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, north of Doha on November 22, 2022. (AFP)
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Updated 24 November 2022
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Pakistan expresses best wishes for Saudi national football team during FIFA World Cup

  • Saudi Arabia outclassed Argentina in a World Cup contest which was viewed as a major tournament upset
  • Pakistan also applauded Qatar for being the first Muslim and Arab country to host the football World Cup

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office on Thursday expressed best wishes for the Saudi football team that secured a convincing victory against one of the most formidable soccer playing countries, Argentina, in a FIFA World Cup match in Qatar.

The Saudi national team’s performance was applauded by sports enthusiasts across the world, many of whom described the outcome of the game as the biggest upset in the tournament’s history.

The kingdom announced a public holiday to celebrate success after its players defeated the South American team by two goals to one.

“You may have seen the tweet of the Prime Minister congratulating Saudi Arabia on their recent victory,” said foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch during her weekly media briefing. “They have our best wishes for the rest of the tournament.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif felicitated Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after Saudi football players outclassed Argentina, saying the Green Falcons had “made history.”

“What a game of football it was,” he exclaimed on Twitter. “Saudi Arabia made history today by staging the biggest upset in the FIFA World Cup thriller against Argentina. Heartiest congratulations to HRH Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. We share the happiness of our Saudi brothers & sisters on this great win.”

The foreign office also congratulated Qatar for being the first Muslim and Arab country to host the football World Cup.

“Pakistan is assisting the Qatari government in security for the World Cup,” the spokesperson said. “We wish them a great tournament.”


Pakistan finance chief calls for stronger emerging market voice during Saudi conference

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Pakistan finance chief calls for stronger emerging market voice during Saudi conference

  • Aurangzeb tells Saudi state media developing economies must assume larger global role
  • Minister says AlUla conference can strengthen coordination among emerging economies

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Thursday called for developing economies to play a greater role in shaping global economic governance in an interview on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies in Saudi Arabia.

The conference, hosted by the Kingdom’s Finance Ministry, brings together top government functionaries, central bank governors and policymakers from emerging markets to discuss debt sustainability, macroeconomic coordination and structural reforms amid global economic uncertainty.

In a conversation with the Saudi Press Agency, Aurangzeb described the conference as a timely platform for dialogue at a moment of heightened geopolitical tensions, trade fragmentation and rapid technological change, including advances in artificial intelligence.

“It is not merely about discussions but about translating deliberations into concrete policy actions and execution over the course of the year,” he said, according to a statement circulated by the Finance Division in Islamabad.

The minister said emerging markets’ growing share of global output and growth should be matched by greater influence in international decision-making.

He noted these economies must strengthen collective dialogue and coordinated policy responses to address shared challenges, adding that the global landscape had evolved significantly since the inaugural edition of the conference.

Aurangzeb expressed confidence that the outcomes of the AlUla Conference would contribute to strengthening coordination among emerging economies and reinforcing their collective voice in shaping a more inclusive and resilient global economic order, the statement added.