Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reached Abu Dhabi for a day-long visit to the United Arab Emirates on April 30 night after wrapping his first official visit to Saudi Arabia since assuming office on April 11.
UAE Minister for Justice Abdullah bin Sultan Al-Nuaimi received the prime minister and members of his delegation at the airport.
PM Shehbaz will also meet Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Pakistani PM, Saudi crown prince discuss trade ties
Pakistan’s newly-elected prime minister met with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah late Friday as part of his three-day visit to the kingdom.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and exchanged views on matters of mutual interest, especially on various regional and international issues,” the Pakistani government said on Twitter.
“They also discussed the prospects of bilateral cooperation and promising opportunities as well as the ways of developing them in various fields,” the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Local newspapers reported that “Pakistan may seek a $7.4 billion financial assistance package from Saudi Arabia” including cash deposits and oil on deferred payments, and rollover of the existing $4.2 billion facilities.
The prime minister’s official delegation includes Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Miftah Ismail, Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Khawaja Asif, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Mohsin Dawar and Maulana Tahir Ashrafi.
PM Sharif and his delegation also performed the Umrah pilgrimage on the last day of his visit on Saturday.
Separately, PM Shehbaz also met the secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC(, Hissein Brahim Taha, in Makkah. “The Prime Minister affirmed his government’s commitment to promoting the interests of Muslim Ummah as a corner-stone of Pakistan’s foreign policy.”
