Pakistan sets up pavilion at Arab Health expo to demonstrate health care manufacturing prowess

Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi (second right), Pakistan’s Envoy to the United Arab Emirates, visits a stall of a Pakistani company at the Arab Expo in Dubai, on January 27, 2025. (Photo Courtesy: Pakistan Consulate Dubai) 
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Updated 27 January 2025
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Pakistan sets up pavilion at Arab Health expo to demonstrate health care manufacturing prowess

  • The exhibition, running from Jan. 27 till Jan. 30, focuses on nine key product sectors, including medical equipment, disposables and surgical goods
  • Pakistan Pavilion is hosting 40 Pakistani firms at the exhibition, highlighting the importance of enhancing Pakistan’s exports across diverse sectors

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has set up its pavilion at the Arab Health 2025 exhibition in Dubai to showcase the South Asian country’s capabilities in health care manufacturing and innovation, the Pakistani embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Monday.
Arab Health 2025, organized under the patronage of the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention, is one of the largest and most prestigious health care exhibitions in the world. This year, the event is featuring over 3,800 exhibitors and has attracted more than 60,000 health care professionals and industry leaders from over 70 countries.
The exhibition, running from Jan. 27 till Jan. 30, focuses on nine key product sectors, including medical equipment and devices, disposables and surgical goods, orthopedics and physiotherapy, imaging and diagnostics, general health care services, health care infrastructure, wellness and prevention, health care transformation and health care technology.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE Faisal Niaz Tirmizi inaugurated the Pakistan Pavilion at the expo at Dubai World Trade Center, which is hosting 40 leading Pakistani companies under the umbrella of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), highlighting the importance of enhancing Pakistan’s exports across diverse sectors to achieve sustainable economic growth.
“Arab Health has served as an important platform for the health care industry over the past 50 years for collaboration, innovation, and shaping the future of health care,” Ambassador Tirmizi said as he inaugurated the pavilion.
“Our mission is committed to doubling the number of Pakistani exhibitors at next year’s exhibition.”
The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States (US), and a major source of foreign investment, valued at over $10 billion in the last 20 years, according to the UAE foreign ministry. Policymakers in Pakistan consider the UAE an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.
The Arab Health exhibition also hosts scientific conferences offering insights into the latest trends in health care, advancements in digital health and artificial intelligence and strategic investment opportunities in the sector.
Ambassador Tirmizi emphasized the significance of leveraging platforms like Arab Health to foster business-to-business linkages, drive innovation in research and development, and enhance collaboration in digital health care services, according to the Pakistani embassy.
Pakistani exhibitors expressed their satisfaction with the arrangements and reiterated the importance of Arab Health in unlocking Pakistan’s export potential in the UAE and the broader Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets.


Pakistani immigration agents express concern over US visa ban

Updated 16 January 2026
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Pakistani immigration agents express concern over US visa ban

  • Trump’s administration is suspending immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries
  • The pause will begin on January 21, a State Department spokesperson said this week

Pakistani immigration agents and members of the public expressed concern to US immigration ban on Thursday.

US President Donald Trump’s administration is suspending processing for immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries, a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday, as part of Washington’s intensifying immigration crackdown.

The pause, which will impact applicants from Latin American countries including Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay, Balkan countries such as Bosnia and Albania, South Asian countries Pakistan and Bangladesh, and those from many nations in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, will begin on January 21, the spokesperson said.

“It is a matter of concern,” said travel and immigration agent, Mohammad Yaseen, in Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city.

“All these people who were waiting for a long time for their visas to be issued, they also had an appointment date, their visas would be suspended. They will be affected by this news and this ban,” he added.

A local resident and banker, Amar Ali, said the ban will economically dent Pakistan because many Pakistanis earn and send dollars back home which boosts its economy.

Another local resident, Anwer Farooqui, urged President Trump to reconsider this decision and keep Pakistan, which is a very reliable friend of the United States, at the same level.

The cable, sent to US missions, said there were indications that nationals from these countries had sought public benefits in the United States.

The move, which was first reported by Fox News, does not impact US visitor visas, which have been in the spotlight given the United States is hosting the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.

The decision follows a November directive to US diplomats asking them to ensure that visa applicants are financially self-sufficient and do not risk becoming dependent on government subsidies during their stay in the US, according to a State Department cable seen by Reuters at the time.

Trump has pursued a sweeping immigration crackdown since returning to office in January. His administration has aggressively prioritized immigration enforcement, sending federal agents to major US cities and sparking violent confrontations with both migrants and US citizens.