KARACHI: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to work toward increasing investment in key sectors, laying the groundwork for sustainable economic growth and prosperity, Pakistani commerce ministry said on Tuesday.
The statement comes after Caretaker Commerce Minister Gohar Ejaz returned to Islamabad after completing an official visit to the kingdom, where he engaged in high-level discussions to strengthen bilateral economic ties between the two nations.
During his visit, Ejaz met with key Saudi officials including Minister of Investment Khaled Al-Falih and Commerce Minister Majid Bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi in Riyadh.
“These meetings aimed to explore opportunities for collaboration and investment between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia,” the statement added.
Accompanied by a delegation of 20 Pakistani industrialists, Ejaz held productive discussions with Saudi ministers on various avenues for enhancing bilateral trade and investment.
The discussions emphasized the importance of increasing cooperation in sectors such as oil and gas, construction, food and agriculture.
The Pakistani commerce minister highlighted the need to elevate trade and investment relations between the two sides, underscoring the mutual benefits of closer economic cooperation.
The Saudi ministers expressed their commitment to strengthening trade relations with Pakistan, affirming their willingness to explore new avenues for collaboration, according to the commerce ministry.
During the visit, the Saudi-Pakistan Business Forum in Riyadh was held on 21 February, which was organized in collaboration with the Saudi Ministry of Commerce, General Authority of Foreign Trade and the Saudi Federation of Chambers.
The focus of the event was to connect Pakistan’s top tier business leadership with their Saudi counterparts.
Sectors that were well represented on both sides included petrochemicals, fertilizers and chemicals, food, IT, investments, textile and real estate, according to commerce ministry.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia vow to boost investment in key sectors — commerce ministry
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Pakistan and Saudi Arabia vow to boost investment in key sectors — commerce ministry
- Pakistan’s caretaker commerce minister held high-level talks in the kingdom to enhance bilateral economic ties
- Saudi officials commit to strengthening trade relations and exploring new collaboration avenues with Pakistan
ADB, Pakistan sign over $300 million agreements to undertake climate resilience initiatives
- Pakistan ranks among nations most vulnerable to climate change and has seen erratic changes in weather patterns
- The projects in Sindh and Punjab will restore nature-based coastal defenses and enhance agricultural productivity
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed more than $300 million agreements to undertake two major climate resilience initiatives, Pakistan’s Press Information Department (PID) said on Tuesday.
The projects include the Sindh Coastal Resilience Sector Project (SCRP), valued at Rs50.5 billion ($180.5 million), and the Punjab Climate-Resilient and Low-Carbon Agriculture Mechanization Project (PCRLCAMP), totaling Rs34.7 billion ($124 million).
Pakistan ranks among nations most vulnerable to climate change and has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns. In 2022, monsoon floods killed over 1,700 people, displaced another 33 million and caused over $30 billion losses, while another 1,037 people were killed in floods this year.
The South Asian country is ramping up climate resilience efforts, with support from the ADB and World Bank, and investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, particularly in vulnerable areas.
“Both sides expressed their commitment to effectively utilize the financing for successful and timely completion of the two initiatives,” the PID said in a statement.
The Sindh Coastal Resilience Project (SCRP) will promote integrated water resources and flood risk management, restore nature-based coastal defenses, and strengthen institutional and community capacity for strategic action planning, directly benefiting over 3.8 million people in Thatta, Sujawal, and Badin districts, according to ADB.
The Punjab project will enhance agricultural productivity and climate resilience across 30 districts, improving small farmers’ access to climate-smart machinery, introducing circular agriculture practices to reduce residue burning, establishing testing and training facilities, and empowering 15,000 women through skills development and livelihood diversification.
Earlier this month, the ADB also approved $381 million in financing for Pakistan’s Punjab province to modernize agriculture and strengthen education and health services, including concessional loans and grants for farm mechanization, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, and nursing sector reforms.
