Saudi foreign minister to visit Pakistan on Monday

A high-level Saudi delegation, led by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, will arrive in Pakistan on Monday on a two-day visit with an aim to enhance bilateral economic cooperation, the foreign office (FO) said on Sunday.

According to the FO statement, the delegation will consist of Saudi Minister of Water and Agriculture Engineer Abdul Rahman Abdul Mohsen Al-Fadley, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Ibrahim AlKhorayef, Deputy Minister of Investment Badr AlBadr, Head of Saudi Special Committee Mohammad Mazyed Al Towaijri, and senior officials from Ministry of Energy and Saudi Fund for General Investments.

Saudi Arabia likely to invest up to $1bn in Reko Diq Copper-Gold project

“The visit takes place essentially to expedite follow up on the understanding reached between Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and HRH Mohammad bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during their recent meeting in Makkah Al Mukarramah to enhance bilateral economic cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia,” the FO said.

The Saudi delegation is expected to hold meetings with the president, the prime minister, the foreign and counterpart ministers, COAS, and the apex committee of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), it added.

The development comes after Pakistan and Saudi Arabia affirmed their commitment to expediting the first wave of an investment package worth $5 billion and also emphasised the Kingdom’s supportive role in Pakistan’s economy and the mutual desire to strengthen trade and investment ties.

The understanding was reached during an official meeting of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman that took place at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah Al-Mukarramah on April, 7 2024.

According to the joint statement later, the two leaders also discussed the need for advancing the peace process in accordance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly as well as the Arab Peace Initiative aimed at finding a just and comprehensive solution, for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The prime minister also invited the Crown Prince to undertake an official visit to Pakistan, at the earliest convenience, which was accepted by the Crown Prince, according to the statement.