President Arif Alvi conferred the Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Order of Excellence) on the visiting Saudi Armed Forces Chief of General Staff General Fayyadh Al Ruwaili in a special ceremony at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Tuesday. Addressing the ceremony, Arif Alvi said that Pakistan gives great importance to its brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia. He wished to further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries. After receiving the country’s highest civil award, General Fayyadh Al Ruwaili held a meeting with Alvi and discussed matters of mutual interest. Saudi Arabia’s top military official also thanked the president for the honour. Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman General Zubair Mahmood Hayat and other senior officers were also present in the ceremony. It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had agreed to further strengthen bilateral ties between both the Islamic countries on December 13, 2018. According to Foreign Office spokesperson, Alvi met Saudi King Shah Salman and expressed satisfaction at the renewed impetus in relations between the two countries. The two leaders met in Riyadh and discussed bilateral ties, the regional situation and issues of mutual interest. Published in Daily Times, January 23rd 2019.