ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has left for Riyadh today, Tuesday, his office said, to attend the One Water Summit from Dec. 3-4, a joint initiative of Saudi Arabia, France, Kazakhstan and the World Bank.
The summit aims for high-level political commitments to promote global cooperation and a coherent international approach toward water resource management.
“The Prime Minister will address the summit on the restoration, protection and innovation of clean water resources,” Sharif’s office said about his expected keynote speech. “The Prime Minister will highlight the steps taken by Pakistan to protect water resources, prepare for climate change, improve drinking water quality, provide employment and protect aquatic life.”
Sharif will also use the platform to highlight the importance of international cooperation to overcome the impact of climate change on water resources and aquatic life due to floods, untimely changes in weather and rising temperatures.
“He will also call for meaningful international collaboration for sustainable water resource management.”
Sharif is also expected to hold bilateral meetings and engagements on the forum’s sidelines.
The summit is being held on the margins of the next high-level session of the sixteenth session of COP16 of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). It aims to contribute to ongoing United Nations discussions and processes to enhance global water governance, accelerate action on SDG6 on water and sanitation, and build on the momentum of the UN Water Conference in 2023.
The forum will also act as an incubator for solutions in preparation for the next UN Water Conference in 2026, and integrate its agenda into the other existing water processes and initiatives such as the World Water Forum, the Dushanbe Conference and the World Water Week.
“The One Water Summit’s ambition is to scale-up projects by stimulating partnerships between states, international organizations, local authorities, development and private banks, businesses, philanthropies, scientific experts, NGOs and civil society, in line with previous One Planet Summits,” the forum’s website said.
Pakistani PM in Riyadh to attend One Water Summit
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Pakistani PM in Riyadh to attend One Water Summit
- Summit is a joint initiative of Saudi Arabia, France, Kazakhstan and the World Bank
- Sharif expected to hold bilateral meetings and engagements on forum’s sidelines
Pakistan eyes ‘heavy’ Chinese investments in 10 key sectors at Islamabad agriculture summit
- More than 300 Chinese and Pakistani firms attended the event focusing on fertilizers, seeds, smart farming and irrigation techniques
- Islamabad expects the conference to lead to investments in agriculture, food processing, livestock, farm machinery and renewable energy
KARACHI: Pakistan is expecting “heavy” Chinese investments across 10 key sectors, including agriculture, renewable energy and technology, the Pakistani food security minister said on Monday, as officials and business leaders from both countries gathered for a major agriculture investment summit in Islamabad.
The Pakistan-China Agriculture Investment Conference was billed by Pakistan as a platform for deepening bilateral agricultural ties and supporting broader economic engagement between the two countries.
Around 120 Chinese companies and over 190 Pakistani firms participated in the event that focused on fertilizers, seed varieties, machinery, precision farming and smart irrigation systems, according to the organizers.
Speaking at the event, National Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain said the conference’s objective was to project Pakistan as a place where Chinese enterprises could grow, innovate and succeed alongside Pakistani partners.
“Heavy investments worth millions of dollars are expected, with multiple MoUs [memorandums of understanding] likely to be finalized by the end of the day across 10 key sectors, including agriculture, food processing, livestock, fisheries, agri-inputs, farm machinery, renewable energy, logistics, technology and value-added exports,” Hussain said on Monday evening.
Pakistan’s exports to China reached approximately $2.38 billion in Fiscal Year 2024–25 that ended in June, while imports stood at $16.3 billion, reflecting growing demand on both sides despite global economic headwinds, according to the minister.
This performance demonstrated resilience and expanding opportunities under the China–Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA) framework.
Hussain said Islamabad was committed to supporting Chinese investors from regulatory processes to seamless coordination with all government departments and institutions.
“Together, Pakistan and China can push the boundaries of innovation, transform agri-technology, strengthen food security and reshape the economic landscape of the region,” he said.
The completion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Phase I and the launch of CPEC Phase II marked a decisive shift toward industrialization, technology transfer, renewable energy and people-centric development, according to Hussain.
Both sides had signed over 40 MoUs in Sept. 2025, covering modern farming, livestock, fisheries, farm mechanization and advanced technology transfer.
“These initiatives are not just projects; they are lifelines of growth, confidence and mutual trust,” he said, adding that they aim to enhance productivity, expand exports, strengthen food security and ensure sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
Pakistan and China have been expanding cooperation in agriculture under the CPEC framework. Officials say stronger agricultural ties could help Pakistan boost exports, ensure food security and create jobs, while offering Chinese companies access to a large farming market and new investment opportunities.
Addressing the conference, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged Pakistani and Chinese agriculturists and experts to strengthen their existing partnership, saying that their sustained hard work and productivity gains could turn Pakistan into a surplus agricultural economy.
“Chinese experts are there to assist us and support us all the way to achieve this wonderful target [of becoming a surplus agricultural economy],” he said. “Now it’s up to us to generate this trade surplus through higher yields, comparative cost and, of course, highest quality.”
The prime minister noted that Pakistan’s policy rate was down to 10.5 percent down from 22 percent two years ago, exports were gradually increasing and macroeconomic indicators were stable.
“Now we have to move toward growth,” he said. “But then it requires solid, hard work, untiring efforts, blood and sweat. Without that, you will not be able to achieve your targets.”
