Caretaker PM meets Saudi ambassador, assures SIFC will accelerate efforts to attract Saudi investments

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar met with Saudi ambassador H.E. Nawaf bin Saeed Ahmad Al-Malkiy on Wednesday and assured him that the recently-established Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) would continue working as before and lay the foundation for accelerated foreign investment, especially from Saudi Arabia.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the premier mentioned potential areas of collaboration in this regard, including energy, infrastructure, agriculture, information technology, and manpower.

The SIFC was established by the recently-departed PDM-led government to attract investment in agriculture, information technology, mining and minerals, energy, and defence.

Kakar’s statement comes a day after he vowed to take the required actions to boost foreign investment through the SIFC.

During Wednesday’s meeting, the Saudi Ambassador congratulated the premier on assuming office and conveyed best wishes and greetings on behalf of the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques, as well as Crown Prince His Royal Highness Mohammed Bin Salman, and the people of Saudi Arabia.

The premier said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoyed historic and deep-rooted ties. “He thanked the Saudi government for its consistent support for Pakistan’s economic stability and development,” the statement read.

The interim PM particularly mentioned the large number of Pakistanis working in Saudi Arabia and requested the Saudi side to continue to extend all possible facilitation to them.

The statement added that the PM lauded the vision of the Saudi leadership and said, “Saudi Arabia could always count on Pakistan as its trusted and reliable partner.”

Ambassador Nawaf emphasised during his remarks that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan shared a fraternal bond.

He stated that mutual trust, understanding, and close cooperation on all bilateral and regional topics of shared concern characterised the relationship.

UAE ambassador meets PM Kakar

Separately, H.E. Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Al-Zaabi, the UAE ambassador to Pakistan, also met with interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Wednesday.

The ambassador conveyed the greetings of the UAE leadership to the Prime Minister on his assumption of office.

During the meeting, PM Kakar praised Pakistan and the UAE for their long-standing and enduring fraternal ties and thanked the UAE government for the warm congratulations.

He expressed his eagerness to cooperate with the UAE to advance their bilateral cooperation in a number of areas, particularly trade, investment, and energy, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

The premier wished the UAE success in hosting the COP28 Summit later this year, the statement added.

“The Prime Minister also emphasized the important role played by the Pakistani diaspora in the UAE and sought the UAE government’s continued support for them,” the statement read.