ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s federal cabinet on Tuesday approved the draft of a memorandum of understanding to be signed with Saudi Arabia for the exchange of students, teachers and delegations, the ministry of religious affairs said.
Pakistan has a close relationship with Saudi Arabia, which has been its friend and benefactor for decades.
“On the recommendation of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Division, the Federal Cabinet approved the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Government of Pakistan and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Da’wah and Guidance, Saudi Arabia,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
Speaking to Arab News, the spokesperson of the ministry of religious affairs, Muhammad Umer Butt, confirmed the development.
“The cabinet has approved the draft of the MOU which will now be signed later on,” he said. “It is about the exchange of teachers, students and delegations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia under both countries’ relevant ministries.”
Pakistanis have made various contributions to Saudi Arabia over the decades. In the 1960s, Pakistani pilots operated RSAF fighter jets during Saudi Arabia’s Al-Wadiah conflict with Yemen as the PAF raised the RSAF (1969). The Pakistan Army was also crucial in helping the Saudi authorities put an end to the 1979 Grand Mosque Seizure.
The immigration of Pakistanis is believed to have helped create contemporary Saudi Arabia, with doctors, engineers, professors and other professionals from Pakistan spending their lives in Saudi Arabia and making significant contributions to the country’s growth and social advancement.
Pakistanis living in Saudi Arabia are the largest source of remittances to the South Asian nation. According to a 2023 estimate, 2.64 million Pakistanis live and work in Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan cabinet approves draft MoU for student, teacher exchanges with Saudi Arabia
https://arab.news/6tu25
Pakistan cabinet approves draft MoU for student, teacher exchanges with Saudi Arabia
- Spokesperson religious affairs ministry confirms draft approved, agreement to be signed in coming days
- Pakistan has a close relationship with Saudi Arabia, which has been its friend and benefactor for decades
Pakistan says defense pact with Saudi Arabia elevated brotherly ties to ‘new heights’
- Pakistan, Saudi Arabia signed strategic defense pact last year pledging aggression against one will be treated as attack on both
- Deputy PM Ishaq Dar says enduring bonds with Islamic and Arab nations form vital pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that Pakistan’s defense pact with Saudi Arabia elevated its brotherly ties with the Kingdom to “new heights,” stressing that close ties with Arab and Islamic nations form a key pillar of Islamabad’s foreign policy.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement on Sept. 17 last year, pledging that aggression against one country would be treated as an attack on both, enhancing joint deterrence and formalizing decades of military and security cooperation.
Both nations agreed in October 2025 to launch an economic cooperation framework to strengthen trade and investment ties.
“In the Middle East, our landmark Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement with Saudi Arabia has elevated our brotherly ties to new heights,” Dar said while speaking at the Pakistan Governance Forum 2026 event in Islamabad.
The Pakistani deputy prime minister was speaking on the topic “Navigating International Relations Amidst Changing Geo-Politics.”
Dar noted that Pakistan has reinforced partnerships with other Middle Eastern nations such as the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Egypt and Bahrain. He said these partnerships have yielded “concrete agreements” in investment, agriculture, infrastructure, and energy sectors.
“Our enduring bonds with Islamic and Arab nations form a vital pillar of our foreign policy, and we will continue to expand our partnerships across Asia, Latin America, and Africa,” he said.
Dar pointed out that the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have undertaken visits to Pakistan in recent months, reflecting Central Asian nations’ desire to boost cooperation with Islamabad.
On South Asia, the Pakistani deputy PM said Pakistan has successfully transformed its fraternal ties with Bangladesh into “a substantive partnership.”
“Similarly, the trilateral mechanism involving China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh has been launched with a view to expanding and deepening regional cooperation and synergy,” the Pakistani minister said.
He said Islamabad has strengthened its “all-weather” partnership with China via the second phase of the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor agreement and “unwavering support” from both sides for each other’s core interests.
Dar said Pakistan had also reinvigorated its partnership with the US, advancing cooperation in trade, technology, investment, and regional stability.
“This calibrated approach has enhanced our ability to navigate complexity with skill and confidence, ensuring that our national interests are served without compromising our core foreign policy principles,” he said.
