ISLAMABAD: Eight Pakistani firms are participating in the Intersec 2025 business exhibition in Dubai, the Pakistani embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Tuesday.

The 26th edition of Intersec, touted as the world’s largest business exhibition for security, safety and fire protection, is being held on Jan. 14 -16 at Dubai World Trade Center.

On Tuesday, Pakistani Consul-General Hussain Muhammad, along with Trade and Investment Counselor Ali Zeb Khan, inaugurated the Pakistan Pavilion at the exhibition.

“Pakistani companies, under the auspices of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), are participating in event to showcase their products,” the Pakistani embassy said in a statement.

“The Pakistani exhibitors expressed their satisfaction with the event arrangements and emphasized the significance of such platforms in enhancing Pakistan’s export potential to the UAE and other GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] markets.”

The development comes as Pakistan, faced with a prolonged economic crisis, has been making efforts to enhance trade with various countries in the region as well as to attract foreign investment to revive its $350 billion economy.

Policymakers in Pakistan consider the UAE an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.

The Pakistani consul-general said the participation of Pakistani companies in global exhibitions like Intersec underscores Pakistan’s commitment to fostering trade ties and showcasing its capabilities in the safety sector.

“The event provides an ideal opportunity for Pakistani companies to explore the world market and make business connections,” he added.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s central bank is expected to deliver a sixth consecutive policy rate cut this month, a poll found on Tuesday, ahead of a meeting of the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Jan. 27.
The State Bank of Pakistan cut its key policy rate by 200 basis points to 13 percent on Dec. 16. This was the fifth straight reduction since June as Pakistan keeps up efforts to revive a sluggish economy with inflation easing.
The move made last year’s cuts one of the most aggressive among emerging market central banks in the current easing cycle. Cumulatively, the SBP cut rates by 900 basis points in the last year.
In a poll conducted by Karachi-based Topline Securities, 61 percent of the participants expected that the central bank will announce a rate cut of 100 basis points.
“Participants are expecting rate cut due to high real rates of 950bps in Jan. 2025, compared to historic average of 200-300bps, despite 900bps cut in total interest rates in last five consecutive meetings since Jun 2024,” Topline Securities said on Tuesday.
“We also hold the view that the SBP will announce a rate cut of 100bps, taking total cut to 1000bps. This will be 6th consecutive cut of this cycle.”
In Dec. the MPC assessed that its approach of measured policy rate cuts was keeping inflationary and external account pressures in check, while supporting economic growth on a sustainable basis.
The central bank noted that it expected inflation to average “substantially below” its earlier forecast range of 11.5 percent to 13.5 percent in 2025.
On the inflation side, 56 percent of the participants expected inflation to remain below 8 percent this fiscal year (July 2024-June 2025), according to Topline Securities.
The South Asian country is navigating a challenging economic recovery path and has been buttressed by a $7 billion facility from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in September.
The central bank has said that “considerable efforts and additional measures” will be required for Pakistan to meet its annual revenue target, a key focus of the IMF agreement.