Saudi | Pakistan

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are in talks to convert about $2 billion of Saudi loans into a JF-17 fighter jet deal, two Pakistani sources said, deepening military cooperation months after the two nations signed a mutual defence pact last year. The talks underscore how the two allies are moving to operationalise defence cooperation at a time of acute financial strain and as Saudi Arabia is reshaping its security partnerships to hedge against uncertainty about US commitments in the Middle East. The mutual defence deal was signed following Israel’s strikes on what it said were Hamas targets in Doha, an attack that shook the Gulf region. One of the sources said the discussions were limited to the provision of JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, the light combat aircraft jointly developed by Pakistan and China and produced in Pakistan, while the second said the jets were the primary option among others under discussion. The first source said the total deal was worth $4bn, with an additional $2bn to be spent on equipment over...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday had a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan shortly after landing in Beijing, the Foreign Office (FO) said. In a post on X today, the FO stated that the pair “deliberated on the recent situation in the region” during the phone call. This is their second call this week. During the earlier call, the two exchanged views on “the current regional situation and recent developments”. “The DPM/FM welcomed the Saudi foreign ministry’s statement regarding Yemen and appreciated the efforts of all sides to resolve the regional situation amicably,” the FO stated. Both nations have a multifaceted relationship rooted in strategic military cooperation, mutual economic interests, and shared Islamic heritage. These ties have encompassed economic assistance and energy supplies, with Riyadh being a significant source of financial aid and oil for Islamabad. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia also signed a landmark mutual defence agreement in Septemb...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar exchanged views on “the current regional situation and recent developments” with his Saudi counterpart in a telephone call on Tuesday, according to the Foreign Office (FO). Both nations have a multifaceted relationship rooted in strategic military cooperation, mutual economic interests, and shared Islamic heritage. These ties have encompassed economic assistance and energy supplies, with Riyadh being a significant source of financial aid and oil for Islamabad. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia also signed a landmark mutual defence agreement in September this year, which outlined that an attack on one party would be treated as an attack on both. In a post on social media, the FO said that Dar expressed satisfaction with the positive trajectory of bilateral relations between Islamabad and Riyadh during the exchange, while Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan “reaffirmed his commitment to further strengthening and enhancing bilateral ties”. Dar also conveye...

The Saudi armed forces chief on Monday relayed the kingdom’s desire to elevate its defence and strategic partnership with Pakistan to new heights. Saudi Armed Forces Chief of General Staff General Fayyadh Bin Hameed Al Rowaili is currently on a visit to Pakistan and held meetings with senior officials. A statement from state broadcaster PTV News, on his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, said: “General Al-Rowaili conveyed felicitations from the Saudi leadership to the prime minister and the people of Pakistan. He reaffirmed the kingdom’s strong desire to elevate the current excellent defence and strategic partnership with Pakistan to new heights.” PM Shehbaz also reaffirmed his firm commitment to further strengthening the “historic fraternal relations” between the countries in all sectors, including economic, defence and security. “The prime minister welcomed General Al-Rowaili and commended Saudi Arabia for the unwavering support and solidarity it has always extended to Pakistan. He emphasised that ...

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has taken up a case challenging the operations of Saudi oil company Aramco-branded fuel stations in the federal capital, issuing notices to the country’s top oil regulator and other respondents for allegedly allowing the foreign entity to operate without a license. The petition, filed by Mohammad Shafiq Mir, owner of a PSO station on Srinagar Highway, was heard by Justice Mohammad Azam Khan. The court has ordered a response from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), Aramco Asia Singapore Pvt Ltd, Gas & Oil Pakistan Ltd (GO), Askar Oil, and several other government bodies. The petitioners counsel Kashif Ali Malik argued that the Saudi state-owned oil company, has been running petrol pumps under its own branding without being a registered corporate entity in Pakistan and without obtaining a mandatory marketing license from OGRA. The petitioner contends that this violates the OGRA Ordinance, the Pakistan Oil Rules 2016, the Petroleum Act, and the Explosives Act. H...

Lawmakers are set to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) at the United States Capitol on Wednesday on the second day of a visit to the US that has aimed to tout stronger-than-ever economic and security ties with Washington while brushing off scrutiny of his human rights record. President Donald Trump gave bin Salman a lavish welcome at the White House on Tuesday and defended him over the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents, which US intelligence agencies have concluded the crown prince approved. A handful of Republican members of Congress, including House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast attended a black-tie dinner at the White House for bin Salman on Tuesday, according to a White House official. MBS was considered an outcast by Washington in the aftermath of the Khashoggi killing, but his rehabilitation was rubber-stamped this week. In...

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Tuesday his country wanted to normalise relations with Israel through US President Donald Trump’s Abraham Accords, but first needed a “clear path” to Palestinian statehood. “We want to be part of the Abraham Accords. But we want also to be sure that we secure a clear path to a two-state solution,” the prince said in the Oval Office alongside Trump. “We’re going to work on that, to be sure that we can prepare the right situation as soon as possible,” he added. Trump said that he received a “positive response” from the Saudi crown prince about joining the Abraham Accords. The US president made the remarks in response to a question during a joint press conference with the Saudi Crown Prince, also known as MBS, during his visit to Washington. View this post on Instagram When asked about selling F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, Trump replied in the affirmative, adding that they would be “pretty similar” to those owned by Israel, the jet’s sole operator in the M...

A visit by Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler to the White House for talks on Tuesday with United States President Donald Trump aims to deepen decades-old cooperation on oil and security while broadening ties in commerce, technology and potentially even nuclear energy. It will be the first trip by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the US since the 2018 killing of Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in Istanbul, which caused a global uproar. US intelligence concluded that MBS approved the capture or killing of Khashoggi, a prominent critic. The crown prince, widely known by his initials MBS, denied ordering the operation but acknowledged responsibility as the kingdom’s de facto ruler. More than seven years later, the world’s largest economy and the world’s top oil producer want to move forward. Trump is seeking to cash in on a $600 billion Saudi investment pledge made during Trump’s visit to the kingdom in May. He steered clear of mentioning human rights concerns during that trip and is expected to do so...

Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal and his Saudi counterpart Fahad Al-Jalajel held a discussion in Riyadh related to polio eradication from Pakistan, along with talks related to cooperation in the health sector and promotion of investment, the health ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. The meeting took place a day ago on the sidelines of the Ninth Edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII9) in Riyadh, where Kamal was part of a Pakistani delegation led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Islamabad and Riyadh share long-standing diplomatic ties and, in recent years, have sought to expand and strengthen their partnership by adding greater strategic depth through enhanced cooperation in defence, economy, and health. Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation have slowed progress. “Both ministers held detailed d...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday ahead of the Ninth Edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII9) in Riyadh. The premier, visiting Saudi Arabia at the invitation of the crown prince, is leading a high-level Pakistani delegation during the trip. The delegation includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and PM’s aides Tariq Fatemi and Bilal Bin Saqib, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). A statement issued on X by state broadcaster PTV News said the meeting with the Saudi crown prince was held in a “cordial atmosphere”. “Matters of mutual interest were discussed in the meeting. The joint statement of the meeting regarding discussions on promoting trade, investment, and cooperation in various sectors between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will be issued shortly,” the statement said, adding that the meeting was attended by FM Dar, COAS Munir an...

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, discussed Gaza during an phone call and also reaffirmed their shared commitment to peace and stability in the region, the Foreign Office said (FO) on Wednesday. “Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar spoke on the phone late last night with the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, H.H. Prince Faisal bin Farhan,” the FO posted on X today. According to the FO, the two leaders “reviewed recent developments in the region, including [in] Gaza and Palestine”, building on previous discussions. The FO further stated that both sides “reaffirmed their shared commitment to peace and stability in the region and agreed to stay closely engaged on matters of mutual interest”. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were among the eight Muslim countries that had worked with US President Donald Trump’s administration on a plan to end Israel’s genocide and invasion in Gaza. Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan both had hailed the signing ...

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb met his Saudi counterpart on the third day of his ongoing US visit, the finance ministry said on Thursday, adding that the former briefed the latter about the privatisation process of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and key airports. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the plenary meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB) in Washington, D.C., where Aurangzeb arrived on Sunday on a six-day trip. A foreign ministry statement issued today said Aurangzeb continued a series of high-level meetings in the US capital, including his engagement with Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan. “He apprised his Saudi counterpart of the ongoing privatisation process of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and key airports, underscoring the government’s resolve to attract strategic investments through transparency and efficiency,” it added. The development comes after a parliamentary committee was informed last month that the PIA Co...

A local court in Karachi has indicted Saudi national Noor Fatima in a case registered under the Foreign Act.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said that Saudi investment will pave the way for a new era of prosperity and development in the province, as she welcomed a delegation of the Saudi-Pakistan Business Council led by Prince Mansour bin Mohammed Al Saud.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah welcomed a high-level Saudi business delegation on Thursday and highlighted 12 priority sectors for investment in the province. The high-level business delegation from Saudi Arabia, led by Saudi-Pakistan Joint Business Council Chairman Prince Mansour bin Mohammad Al Saud, arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday to discuss trade, investment and collaboration. The development followed Pakistan forming an 18-member committee to oversee bilateral economic engagements and negotiations with the kingdom. Last month, the two countries also signed a mutual defence agreement, pledging a joint response to any act of aggression. A press release issued today from the CM Secretariat said the delegation was welcomed at CM House by Shah and provincial ministers. It added that the delegation included over 30 prominent businessmen and investors associated with the energy, infrastructure, agriculture, livestock, mining, construction, logistics and investment sectors. Representatives of the Pakistan Bu...

ISLAMABAD - A high-level Saudi business delegation led by Chairman of the Saudi-Pakistan Joint Business Council Prince Mansour bin Mohammad Al Saud arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday.

Post from multiple Indian users on social media platform X on Friday shared a video clip of a Houthi official, claiming that it showed him threatening Pakistan for allegedly sending troops to the Saudi–Yemen border amid the signing of a mutual defence deal with the kingdom. However, the video is old and does not show the Houthi official talking about Pakistan. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement” in Riyadh on Sept 16, pledging that any attack on either nation would be treated as an act of aggression against both. A statement from the PM’s office announcing the signing of the pact read: “This agreement, which reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieve security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defence cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression.” A known Indian propaganda account shared the picture of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with Saudi Crown Prin...

A day after Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a landmark mutual defence agreement during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Riyadh, the premier on Thursday expressed gratitude for the “heart-warming welcome” given to him in the Gulf State and shared that his talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman covered regional challenges, as well as enhancing bilateral cooperation. PM Shehbaz reached Riyadh for a day-long visit yesterday where he and Crown Prince Salman signed the ’Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement’ at the Al-Yamamah Palace in the Saudi capital. “Deeply touched by the heart warming welcome, accorded to me by my dear brother HRH (His Royal Highness) Prince Mohammed bin Salman, crown prince and prime minister of Saudi Arabia, on my official visit to Riyadh. “From the unprecedented escort provided to my aircraft by the Royal Saudi air force jets to the smartly turned out guard of the Saudi armed forces, this welcome reception speaks volumes about the abiding love and mutual respect between Pa...

The Pakistani and Saudi naval chiefs held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the regional maritime security situation and enhancing defence cooperation. The two countries conducted a bilateral training drill involving their special forces with a high-intensity final test exercise in Karachi in February. The bilateral training exercise was held between the Special Operations Forces (SOFs) of Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) and Special Service Group of Pakistan Navy (SSG-N). A statement issued today from the Pakistan Navy’s (PN) Director General Public Relations said RSNF Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Ghuraybi met Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf at the Naval Headquarters in Islamabad, on Tuesday. The Saudi naval chief was received by Admiral Ashraf and presented with a guard of honour. He was also introduced to the principal staff officers. “During meeting, both leaders discussed matters of mutual interest, regional maritime security situation and avenues for enha...

PM speaks with Qatar, Saudi envoys