Daily Times

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is expected to travel to Pakistan this month on a visit that Islamabad hopes will pave the way for much-needed investment from Riyadh.

The visit of the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia is long overdue, as the last time he travelled to Pakistan was in February 2019. In late 2022, the Saudi crown prince was scheduled to visit Islamabad, but the visit had to be cancelled since the dates were close to the change of army command. The new schedule could not be finalised because of unfolding political uncertainty and the general elections in Pakistan.

However, the Saudi crown prince, according to sources, has now agreed to travel to Islamabad at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who visited Riyadh twice in a short span of time. Ahead of the much-anticipated visit of the Saudi crown prince, a powerful Saudi delegation comprising leading businessmen is in Islamabad, holding a series of meetings with their Pakistani counterparts to explore investment opportunities.

The visit is part of ongoing efforts by Pakistan to woo Saudi investment, a key strategy being followed by a civil-military-led initiative to pull the country out of economic trouble.