ISLAMABAD: A prominent Saudi conglomerate with diverse business interests expressed investment interest in Pakistan after its delegation visited the country where it met the officials of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) on Wednesday.
A hybrid government body established last year to attract foreign investment in Pakistan’s key economic sectors, the SIFC promises to create an enabling business environment in the country and offer a one-window solution to investors.
Since its inception, it has been seeking investment in sectors like energy, mines and minerals, information technology, agriculture and livestock, and industry and tourism.
The council has specifically paid attention to the Gulf countries where its economic interests remain deeply entrenched.
“A high-level delegation of Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ajlan Holding Group visited the Special Investment Facilitation Council on March 6,” said an official statement circulated by the SIFC.
“The delegation expressed keen interest in exploring investment opportunities under SIFC in different sectors,” it added.
The Saudi conglomerate’s interests span various sectors, including real estate, fashion, retail and investment.
Al-Ajlan Holding Group has also made investments abroad, which aligns with its strategy to diversify its investment portfolio and establish a global presence in key markets around the world.
Pakistan has been actively seeking foreign investment as part of its strategy to stimulate economic growth, create jobs and enhance its technological and industrial capabilities.
Foreign investment is seen as crucial for bringing in capital at a time when the country has been seeking financial bailouts from international lending agencies.
Prominent Saudi conglomerate considers Pakistan for business expansion after talks with investment body
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Prominent Saudi conglomerate considers Pakistan for business expansion after talks with investment body
- Al-Ajlan Holding’s business interests span various sectors, including real estate, fashion, retail and investment
- Its delegation visited Pakistan when the country is seeking foreign investment to stimulate economic growth
Pakistan says Indonesia’s Pertamina exploring cooperation in ‘vast untapped potential’ in minerals
- Islamabad is pitching its largely untapped mineral sector to foreign investors as a new pillar of economic recovery and industrial growth
- Jakarta is eyeing overseas mining partnerships through Pertamina to leverage its exploration expertise and secure strategic raw materials
ISLAMABAD: Indonesia has expressed interest in engaging in Pakistan’s largely untapped mineral sector, with Jakarta’s state-owned energy company Pertamina seen as a potential partner for exploration and mining cooperation, a statement from Pakistan’s Information Ministry said this week.
The engagement comes as Pakistan positions mining as a potential engine of long-term growth, following years of underinvestment and stalled projects, and as resource-rich Asian economies increasingly look overseas to secure supplies of critical minerals and diversify investment portfolios.
Government and industry estimates suggest Pakistan’s untapped mineral resources could be worth trillions of dollars, anchored by major copper-gold deposits such as Reko Diq, as well as coal, iron ore and emerging critical minerals. Meanwhile, Indonesia, one of the world’s leading producers of minerals such as nickel, coal and copper, has in recent years expanded the role of its state-owned firms in overseas energy and extractive ventures, driven by rising domestic demand, industrial policy linked to downstream processing and global competition for strategic resources.
Against this backdrop, Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik met Indonesia’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Chandra Warsenanto Sukotjo, on Thursday to discuss cooperation with a particular focus on minerals and exploration, the information ministry said.
“Indonesia’s state-owned company, Pertamina, possesses extensive experience in exploration, and avenues for cooperation in exploration activities between the two countries could be explored,” the Indonesian ambassador said, according to the statement.
Malik welcomed Indonesia’s interest and assured full government support, highlighting what the statement described as Pakistan’s “vast untapped potential” in minerals and exploration. He encouraged Indonesian companies to partner with Pakistani firms on mutually beneficial projects.
The petroleum minister also formally invited Indonesia to participate in the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum (PMIF) 2026, telling the ambassador that the upcoming event would be significantly larger than the previous two editions and aimed at attracting a wider pool of international investors.
Both sides agreed to continue engagement and explore concrete opportunities to deepen cooperation across minerals, exploration and energy, the statement said, framing the talks as part of broader efforts to strengthen Pakistan–Indonesia economic ties beyond traditional diplomatic and cultural links.
Pakistan holds significant reserves of copper, gold, coal and other minerals across Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, but officials say much of this potential remains underdeveloped due to legal disputes, infrastructure gaps and lack of foreign investment. In recent years, Islamabad has sought to change that by resolving long-running disputes, hosting international mineral investment forums, and courting partners from North America, the Gulf and Asia.
The government has placed particular emphasis on large-scale projects such as the Reko Diq copper-gold mine in Balochistan, while also encouraging smaller exploration and mining ventures through joint partnerships with foreign companies and state-owned enterprises.
