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
Bilateral trade, investment, defense in focus as Indonesian president visits Pakistan today
- President Prabowo Subianto will arrive on a two-day visit in Islamabad, leading high-level delegation of ministers, officials
- Indonesian president to hold delegation-level meeting with PM Shehbaz Sharif, oversee signing of several agreements
ISLAMABAD: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan today, Monday, on a two-day visit aimed at exploring new avenues of cooperation with Islamabad in trade, defense, investment, health, education and other sectors, the Pakistani foreign ministry said.
This marks Subianto’s maiden visit to Pakistan and the first by an Indonesian president to the country since 2018. Subianto will arrive in Islamabad leading a high-level delegation of senior ministers and officials, with his trip coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Islamabad and Jakarta.
Subianto will hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and will also meet President Asif Ali Zardari and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir during his two-day visit.
“The two sides will discuss a wide-ranging agenda aimed at further strengthening Pakistan-Indonesia relations and exploring new avenues of cooperation, including trade, investment, defense, health, IT, climate, education and culture, as well as enhancing collaboration at regional and global levels,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said on Sunday.
“Several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed during the visit.”
Pakistan and Indonesia enjoy close, cordial and long-standing relations rooted in shared values and mutual interests. The foreign office said the Indonesian president’s visit will provide a key opportunity for both sides to deepen bilateral ties and expand mutually beneficial cooperation.
Indonesia is also home to a few hundred Pakistani expatriates, many of whom are engaged in businesses such as restaurants, the selling of hand-knotted carpets, precious stones, textile items and herbal medicines.
