Daily Times

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Saturday held a bilateral meeting with the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on the sidelines of the 15th OIC Islamic Summit Conference, in Banjul, The Gambia.

Noting the importance of the long-standing strategic and economic relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Saudi Foreign Minister reaffirmed the resolve to further enhance economic cooperation and Saudi investments in Pakistan.

The Deputy Prime Minister lauded the “Vision 2030”, which aimed at socio-economic transformation of the Kingdom in the 21st century.

He stated that the recently held visit of the Saudi Foreign Minister to Pakistan, who was leading a high-powered delegation, represented a new momentum in economic collaboration between Pakistan and the Kingdom, according to a press release issued here.

Deputy PM Dar and the Saudi Foreign Minister expressed deep concern over the recent developments in the Middle East and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

They also noted the important role of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on issues concerning the Muslim Ummah including the situations in Palestine and Kashmir.

A high-level trade delegation from Saudi Arabia is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan on Sunday (today) with the aim of exploring investment opportunities in various sectors.

According to Saudi publication, Sabq, the 50-member delegation includes representatives of about 30 companies in the Kingdom representing various economic sectors.

This includes information technology, communications, energy, aviation, construction, mineral exploration, agriculture, and human resource development. The delegation will also hold discussions regarding various sectors for the promotion of Pak-Saudi trade and strengthening business ties with local entrepreneurs.

The delegation’s arrival in Pakistan is followed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia to attend the World Economic Forum’s Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy.

During his visit, the premier also met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss cooperation in various sectors and also held a meeting with Saudi Minister of Commerce.

In his meeting with the minister, PM Shehbaz said that the economic ties between Islamabad and Riyadh had entered a new era as both countries were set to take concrete measures to boost the volume of bilateral trade.

The Saudi minister said that the Kingdom was prioritising trade and investment in Pakistan, adding that a delegation of Saudi businessmen, traders and investors would soon visit the country. Last month, a high-level delegation from Saudi Arabia led by Foreign Minister Prince had also visited Islamabad on a two-day visit aimed at lending positive impetus to enhanced bilateral cooperation and mutually rewarding economic partnership.

The delegation consisted of Saudi Minister of Water and Agriculture Engineer, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Ibrahim AlKhorayef, Deputy Minister of Investment Badr AlBadr, Head of Saudi Special Committee Mazyed Al Towaijri, and senior officials from Ministry of Energy and Saudi Fund for General Investments.