ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif left for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday to attend the World Governments Summit (WGS) from Feb. 10-11, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said on Monday. 

The summit will bring together a large number of Heads of State/Government, global policymakers, and leading private sector figures to discuss the future of governance, innovation and international cooperation, according to the Pakistani foreign office.

This will be Sharif’s second visit to the UAE since assuming office in March last year. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and other key members of his cabinet.

“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif departs on a two-day official visit to the UAE,” the PMO said. 

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s foreign office said on Sunday that Sharif will deliver a keynote address at the WGS, highlighting Pakistan’s vision for inclusive economic growth, digital transformation and governance reforms. 

“He will also hold bilateral meetings with the UAE leadership as well as engage with Heads of State/Government from participating countries and leading CEOs of major multinational companies,” the foreign office said. 

The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States, and a major source of foreign investment valued at over $10 billion in the last 20 years, according to the UAE’s 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.

It is also home to more than a million Pakistani expatriates, making it the second-largest Pakistani expatriate community worldwide, as per the foreign office, and a major source of foreign workers’ remittances for Pakistan.

Both countries have stepped up efforts in recent years to strengthen their business and investment relations. In January 2024, Pakistan and the UAE signed multiple agreements worth more than $3 billion for cooperation in railways, economic zones and infrastructure, a Pakistani official said, amid Pakistani caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar’s visit to Davos for the World Economic Forum’s summit.

“The prime minister’s visit underscores Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to further strengthening its ties with the UAE, fostering greater economic collaboration and exploring new avenues of partnership for mutual prosperity,” the foreign office added.