ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday conferred the Nishan-e-Imtiaz military award on Royal Saudi Naval Forces Chief Vice Admiral Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Gharibi in recognition of his contributions to strengthening naval ties between the two countries.
The award was conferred during a special investiture ceremony at the President House in Islamabad, which was attended by Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Malki, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf and other senior officials.
“The president congratulated Vice Admiral Al-Gharibi on receiving the award and acknowledged his efforts in promoting cooperation between the navies of the two brotherly nations,” the president’s secretariat said in a statement.
President Zardari later held a meeting with the Saudi commander and expressed Pakistan’s deep appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s support during challenging times. He expressed satisfaction over the ongoing engagements between the two navies and called for further collaboration, according to the statement.
The Pakistan president appreciated the participation of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces in Exercise AMAN-25 and AMAN Dialogue-25, held in Pakistan in February, noting that such joint activities contribute to promoting maritime cooperation and mutual understanding. He expressed appreciation for the trust placed by the Royal Saudi Naval Forces in the Pakistan Navy’s training system and emphasized the importance of expanding training cooperation between the two navies.
“The President also praised the vision of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which he said is steering the Kingdom toward transformation, progress, and long-term prosperity,” the statement read.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan maintain close religious, cultural, diplomatic and strategic ties, particularly in trade and defense. The Kingdom is home to over two million Pakistani expatriates, who are the largest source of remittances to the South Asian country.
The Kingdom has provided substantial support to Pakistan during its prolonged economic challenges in recent years, including external financing and assistance with International Monetary Fund loan programs.
