UAE investors explore hotel, real estate and tourism projects in Pakistan’s capital 

Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Chief Commissioner of Islamabad, Muhammad Ali Randhawa (third right), meets a delegation of investors from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Islamabad, Pakistan, on September 8, 2025. (CDA)
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Updated 09 September 2025
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UAE investors explore hotel, real estate and tourism projects in Pakistan’s capital 

  • Islamabad’s Capital Development Authority assures investors it is taking measures to provide incentives to investors
  • Development takes place as Pakistan eyes foreign investment in priority sectors to revive its economic prospects

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of investors from the UAE explored investment opportunities in real estate, tourism and hotels and hospitality industry in Islamabad, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) said in a statement this week. 

The press release followed a meeting between CDA officials, including its chairman and Islamabad Chief Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa, and a delegation of UAE investors at the authority’s headquarters. Both sides discussed potential investment opportunities and projects in Islamabad, the CDA said. 

“The UAE investors were briefed on various sectors and projects, including the hotel and hospitality industry, commercial projects, real estate and tourism,” the CDA said on Monday. “The briefing highlighted that the city of Islamabad offers excellent investment opportunities in the hotel industry, real estate sector and tourism.”

The CDA officials informed the UAE delegation that the authority had developed “robust” financial and operational models to secure investors’ capital in Islamabad’s commercial projects. They said feasibility studies for tourism projects, such as a theme park and a cable car project, have been completed.

Randhawa said the CDA is taking comprehensive measures to provide maximum incentives and facilities for investors. He highlighted that renowned consultancy firms and consultants have already conducted feasibility studies to make these investment projects viable.

The UAE investors expressed deep interest in various investment opportunities in Islamabad, the CDA said.

“The purpose of the meeting was to promote foreign investment in Islamabad and implement international standard projects for the development of the city,” the statement 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 Gulf country’s foreign ministry.


No third meeting with Pakistan army chief on Trump’s calendar – White House official

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No third meeting with Pakistan army chief on Trump’s calendar – White House official

  • Reuters reported that Donald Trump was expected to hold a third meeting with Asim Munir in six months over a proposed Gaza force
  • Pakistan’s top military commander has met Trump twice this year, including a White House luncheon without Pakistani civilian leaders

ISLAMABAD: A White House official said on Wednesday there was no meeting scheduled between US President Donald Trump and Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, after a Reuters report cited sources saying Munir is expected to travel to Washington in the coming weeks for talks that could focus on a proposed multinational force for post-war security and aid delivery in Gaza.

Trump’s Gaza plan, outlined as part of a 20-point framework, envisages the deployment of troops from Muslim-majority countries during a transitional stabilization phase, intended to support security and governance as the war-ravaged Palestinian territory moves toward reconstruction and a longer-term political settlement.

Reuters reported that Washington saw Pakistan as a potentially significant contributor given its battle-hardened military, which has fought a brief but intense conflict with India this year and continues to combat insurgencies in its remote regions, adding that the visit would mark Munir’s third meeting with Trump in six months.

“This is not on the President’s calendar at this time,” a White House official said on background, responding to an Arab News query about a possible Trump-Munir meeting.

Munir has met Trump twice in recent months. In June, he was invited to a White House luncheon, an unusual and unprecedented interaction in which a US president hosted a Pakistani military leader without the presence of civilian authorities.

A second meeting took place in October, when Trump hosted Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and publicly thanked Munir – whom he described as his “favorite” field marshal – for Pakistan’s efforts toward peace in Gaza, alongside leaders of other Muslim nations.

Pakistan this week reiterated its position the situation in West Asia during an open debate at the UN Security Council, calling for a “time-bound and irreversible” political process anchored in relevant UN resolutions that would lead to the establishment of a sovereign, independent and contiguous Palestinian state.

Islamabad and Washington have meanwhile sought to repair ties after years of strained relations, with both sides working to boost bilateral trade and investment following what officials have described as a favorable tariff deal.