ISLAMABAD: Pakistani officials invited Saudi Arabia to invest in key infrastructure projects in the country, the Press Information Department (PID) said on Friday, as a high-powered Saudi business delegation arrived in the capital to discuss bilateral trade and investment.
The Saudi delegation, led by Prince Mansour bin Mohammad Al Saud, the chairman of the Saudi-Pak Joint Business Council, arrived in Islamabad this week and expressed interest in investing in a range of Pakistani infrastructure, energy and technology projects.
The delegation came as Pakistan looks to attract foreign investment to support economic growth and strengthen external finances, while deepening commercial links with Gulf allies. Saudi Arabia is one of Pakistan’s closest partners and has provided financial support to Islamabad in times of economic stress.
Prince Mansour held a high-level meeting with Pakistan’s Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan on Friday to discuss matters of mutual interest and strategic promotion of bilateral relations, the PID said in a statement.
“During the detailed discussions, Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan extended an official invitation to the Saudi Business Council to invest in Pakistan’s rapidly expanding infrastructure, specifically highlighting the construction of new motorways and key transport networks currently underway across the country,” the statement added.
The Pakistani minister offered strategic partnerships to the Saudi business delegation in the M6 Sukkur-Hyderabad, M10 Karachi Port and M13 Kharian-Rawalpindi motorway projects, PID said.
Khan stressed that these particular routes are highly viable, commercially lucrative and represent prime investment opportunities for the Saudi business community due to their significant commercial importance.
“In response, Prince Mansour bin Muhammad Al Saud expressed strong interest on behalf of the Saudi Business Council to explore partnership and investment opportunities in these specific motorway projects,” the PID said.
Prince Mansour said the Council is well-positioned to collaborate extensively in Pakistan’s communications and infrastructure sectors.
Khan assured the delegation that Saudi investors would be provided with highly viable and profitable investment models, noting that the country’s expanding road network plays a pivotal role in boosting regional trade activities.
DELEGATION MEETS PAKISTAN PM
The Saudi delegation met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday to discuss trade and investment, Sharif’s office said in a statement.
The Saudi delegation expressed interest in investing in a range of Pakistani infrastructure, energy and technology projects, the PMO said.
The Saudi embassy wrote about the meeting with Sharif in a statement on X ON Friday, saying that both sides discussed ways to promote trade.
“In the presence of the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, discussions were held on efforts to promote trade relations between the two countries,” it said.
The Saudi delegation is expected to hold meetings with senior government officials and private-sector representatives during its visit to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries.
