News Desk
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called on the businessmen of the United Arab Emirates to utilize the available immense opportunities in Pakistan, a market of more than 220 million people offering its investors a strong, attractive, and large consumer market.
The Prime Minister said this on the sideline of his UAE visit last week in an interview with Khaleej Times, which was published on Thursday. He motivated the investors from UAE to invest in a number of fields in Pakistan particularly energy, infrastructure, e-commerce, agri-based industry, and Information Technology.
Highlighting the scope of Pak, UAE relations, the Prime Minister said that the bilateral trade with the UAE had enhanced by 25.40 percent during 2021-22 against the previous year, reaching US$10.60 billion. However, he added, “the current level of bilateral trade needs further boosting.
Venues for UAE Investors
Responding to a question he said, “We need to find new avenues of economic cooperation to take our economic ties at par with our excellent political relations”, adding that Information Technology (IT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Financial Technology (Fintech) are some of the new areas for collaboration with much greater potential.
The Prime Minister also thanked the government of UAE for its generous support into humanitarian aid to flood victims in Pakistan. “On the very first day I received a telephone call from His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, saying to me, ‘we will immediately start sending relief goods for areas affected by flood”, he recalled.
He added that an air bridge was established between Pakistan and Abu Dhabi, and relief goods were timely to Islamabad and different cities of Sindh including Karachi, Badin, Shikarpur and other areas.
Pak, UAE Friendship
On the log lasting friendship between UAE and Pakistan, the prime minister recalled that the foundation of these friendly relations was laid by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who wished Pakistan to become among the leading, prosperous and progressive states. “We will never forget his benevolence, kindness, and generosity”.
Shehbaz Sharif thanked the government of UAE its people for hosting and allowing about 1.7 million Pakistanis to earn their livelihood in their country with dignity and respect.
Expressing his views on the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28), which would be held in November this year, the prime minister wished the UAE to host the event successfully, adding that “as part of its climate diplomacy, Pakistan would continue to constructively and optimistically contribute to global climate change debate, negotiations, and action”.
