ISLAMABAD: UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Islamabad on Sunday for a two-day official visit aimed at strengthening cooperation in energy, trade and security, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said.
Pakistan and the UAE have deepened their economic partnership in recent years. The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States, and a major source of foreign investment, with over $10 billion invested in the last two decades.
“Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 received the Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of Foreign Affairs of UAE, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan @ABZayed today in Islamabad,” the foreign office announced in a brief statement. “He is on a two-day official visit to Pakistan.”
It said in an earlier statement the UAE deputy prime minister will hold talks with Dar on a wide range of issues.
“The entire spectrum of bilateral relations, with particular focus on trade and investment, energy cooperation, regional security and people-to-people linkages will be reviewed during the meeting.”
The UAE royal is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his visit.
His stay in Pakistan is expected to further strengthen the longstanding ties between the two countries and contribute to deepening bilateral engagements in diverse fields, benefiting the peoples of both countries, according to the foreign office.
The UAE is home to over a million Pakistani expatriates, the second-largest overseas Pakistani community globally, and a major source of remittance inflows to Pakistan.
Policymakers in Islamabad view the UAE as an ideal export destination due to its geographic proximity, which lowers freight costs and facilitates smoother trade.
In recent years, the two countries have signed a series of agreements to boost economic ties.
In February, during the Abu Dhabi crown prince’s visit to Pakistan, the two sides signed accords in mining, railways, banking and infrastructure.
Last year in January, Pakistan and the UAE signed deals worth more than $3 billion covering railways, economic zones and infrastructure development.
The UAE has become an even more crucial partner for Pakistan amid Islamabad’s efforts to achieve sustainable economic growth after suffering from a prolonged macroeconomic crisis.
UAE deputy PM in Pakistan to discuss energy, trade, and security ties
https://arab.news/2pj74
UAE deputy PM in Pakistan to discuss energy, trade, and security ties
- Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan will hold meetings with PM Shehbaz Sharif and Ishaq Dar
- Pakistan and the UAE have signed several agreements to boost economic ties in recent years
Pakistan forms committee to negotiate financial advisory services for Islamabad airport privatization
- Committee to engage Asian Development Bank to negotiate terms of financial advisory services agreement, says privatization ministry
- Inaugurated in 2018, Islamabad airport has faced criticism over construction delays, poor facilities and operational inefficiencies
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Privatization Ministry announced on Wednesday that it has formed a committee to engage the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to negotiate a potential financial advisory services agreement for the privatization of Islamabad International Airport.
The Islamabad International Airport, inaugurated in 2018 at a cost of over $1 billion, has faced criticism over construction delays, poor facilities, and operational inefficiencies.
The Negotiation Committee formed by the Privatization Commission will engage with the ADB to negotiate the terms of a potential Financial Advisory Services Agreement (FASA) for the airport’s privatization, the ministry said.
“The Negotiation Committee has been mandated to undertake negotiations and submit its recommendations to the Board for consideration and approval, in line with the applicable regulatory framework,” the Privatization Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said Islamabad airport operations will be outsourced under a concession model through an open and competitive process to enhance its operational efficiency and improve service delivery standards.
Pakistan has recently sought to privatize or outsource management of several state-run enterprises under conditions agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of a $7 billion bailout approved in September last year.
Islamabad hopes outsourcing airport operations will bring operational expertise, enhance passenger experience and restore confidence in the aviation sector.
In December 2025, Pakistan’s government successfully privatized its national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), selling 75 percent of its stakes to a consortium led by the Arif Habib Group.
The group secured a 75 percent stake in the PIA for Rs135 billion ($482 million) after several rounds of bidding, valuing the airline at Rs180 billion ($643 million).
Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said this week the government has handed over 26 state-owned enterprises to the Privatization Commission.
