RIYADH: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday to represent his country at the Ninth Edition of the Future Investment Initiative summit in Riyadh.
Upon his arrival, PM Sharif was received at the airport by Riyadh Deputy Governor Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
He is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Mohammad Aurangzeb, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistants Tariq Fatemi and Bilal Bin Saqib.
A three-day official visit is being carried out at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, the Foreign Office announced on Sunday.
The global conference — themed “The Key to Prosperity: Unlocking New Frontiers of Growth” — will bring together world leaders, investors, policymakers, and innovators to discuss challenges and opportunities in innovation, sustainability, economic inclusion, and shifting geopolitics.
During his visit, the Prime Minister is also expected to hold meetings with Saudi leadership to explore ways to strengthen cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, energy, and human resource development.
The discussions will also cover regional and global issues of mutual interest and concern.
On the sidelines of the summit, the Prime Minister will also interact with leaders from other participating countries and heads of international organisations.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have historically maintained close ties, which have expanded in recent years to include enhanced strategic and economic cooperation.
During the Prime Minister’s visit to Riyadh on September 18, the two countries signed a landmark defence pact and, last year, agreed on 34 memorandums of understanding worth $2.8 billion across various sectors.
The defence agreement formalises decades of security collaboration, stipulating that an attack on either country will be treated as an attack on both.
The relationship between the two nations is rooted in shared faith, mutual respect, and strategic partnership, with Riyadh serving as a key political and economic ally of Islamabad.
Saudi Arabia is also home to over 2.5 million Pakistani expatriates, who constitute the largest source of remittances for Pakistan’s $407 billion economy.
