ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh during which they discussed expanding the two countries’ “historic and time-tested” partnership in trade, investment and economic cooperation, the Pakistani premier said on Tuesday.
Sharif met the Saudi crown prince on the sidelines of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in Riyadh on Monday. The Pakistani prime minister arrived in Riyadh the same day leading a high-level delegation to attend the FII conference, which brings together prominent global investors and leaders. Discussions during the summit will revolve around global challenges and opportunities such as innovation, sustainability, economic inclusion and geopolitical shifts.
The Pakistani prime minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s meeting was attended by senior cabinet members from both countries as well as Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, according to a statement released by Sharif’s office on Monday night.
“We reaffirmed the enduring strength of the Pakistan–Saudi Arabia brotherly bonds and discussed ways to further expand this historic and time-tested partnership in trade, investment, and economic cooperation,” Sharif wrote on social media platform X.
He lauded the Saudi crown prince for his “personal commitment and resolute support” in advancing the two countries’ shared vision for deeper collaboration and prosperity.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia last month signed a historic strategic defense agreement, according to which an attack against one country will be treated as an attack against both, formalizing their decades-old security ties.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have long enjoyed close ties but have sought to broaden cooperation in recent years. The two countries signed memorandums of understanding worth $2.8 billion across multiple sectors last year in an effort to deepen their economic, trade and investment partnership.
Islamabad and Riyadh share longstanding ties rooted in faith, mutual respect and strategic cooperation, with Saudi Arabia remaining Pakistan’s key political and economic partner. The Kingdom also hosts over 2.5 million Pakistani expatriates, the largest source of remittances for Pakistan’s $407 billion economy.
