ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday thanking the Saudi leadership for ‘Road to Makkah’ project, expressed his satisfaction that thousands of Pakistani pilgrims would be facilitated under this initiative.

The prime minister was talking to ‘Road to Makkah’ project team, which led by Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan Nawaf bin Saeed Ahmad Al-Malkiy called on him here.

Mansour Shahad S. Alotaibi from the Saudi Department of the General Directorate of Passports was also present in the meeting. Welcoming the Saudi delegation, the prime minister reaffirmed that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy historic fraternal relations, which are marked by common understanding on all issues of mutual interest at regional and international level.

He shared that the people and leadership of Pakistan hold the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in high esteem, and conveyed warm greetings to King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman.

While recalling consistent support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, the PM stated that the two countries have stood with each other through the vicissitudes of time.

He assured full cooperation and support to the Saudi team for making the `Road to Makkah’ initiative a great success. He also expressed the hope that the initiative would be extended to other cities of Pakistan in future.

Thanking the Prime Minister for his government’s assistance to the Saudi team for the effective implementation of the initiative, the Saudi Ambassador expressed the desire to further strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries, especially in the realms of trade, development and investment.

The ‘Road to Makkah’ is a Saudi initiative aimed at the completion of Saudi immigration and customs-related formalities before the departure of the pilgrims to perform Hajj, at the Islamabad International Airport. The Saudi team is in Pakistan for the facilitation of such pilgrims, prior to their departure to the Kingdom.