Ishaq Dar Confirms Saudi Crown Prince’s Pakistan Visit

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has confirmed the forthcoming visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to Pakistan, stating that they are expecting to receive the final dates for his visit from the kingdom this month.

“InshaAllah, the visit is scheduled, and I believe we may receive confirmation of the dates from Saudi Arabia anytime in May,” FM Dar announced during a media briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad on Tuesday.His comments followed a report indicating that the Saudi crown prince is likely to visit Pakistan between May 10 to 15.

Read more: Saudi Delegation Arrives In Karachi For Road to Makkah Project

This visit marks the first time in five years that the Saudi crown prince, also known as MBS, will be visiting Pakistan, with his last visit dating back to February 2019 during the tenure of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“As of now, the visit of the Saudi crown prince is in the pipeline,” the foreign minister affirmed in response to a query.

Reflecting on a recent meeting between a Pakistani delegation and the Saudi crown prince in Makkah, the deputy prime minister disclosed that Prince Salman had pledged to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that he would undertake a visit to Pakistan.

Subsequent to the PM’s visit to Saudi Arabia during Ramadan, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud led a ministerial delegation on an official visit to Pakistan from April 15-16.

The aim of this visit was to follow up on the agreements reached between PM Shehbaz Sharif and the crown prince during their recent meeting in Makkah Al Mukarramah and to expedite discussions on bolstering bilateral economic cooperation, as per the Foreign Office.

Additionally, a 50-member high-level Saudi trade delegation led by Deputy Investment Minister Ibrahim Almubarak visited Pakistan from May 5 to 6 with the aim of exploring various avenues of trade and investment to further strengthen bilateral relations.

Pakistan is seeking significant investment from Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, while the kingdom reaffirmed its commitment last month to expedite the initial phase of its $5 billion investment in Pakistan.