Saudi Arabia | Pakistan

Two hundred personnel from the Federal Constabulary’s Special Diplomatic Protection Unit will receive training in Saudi Arabia, the interior ministry said on Thursday. The decision was taken during a meeting between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Saudi counterpart Abdulaziz bin Saud Al Saud in Mina, Saudi Arabia. In a social media post on X, the ministry said both ministers exchanged Eidul Azha greetings, while the Saudi minister congratulated Naqvi on performing Haj. During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on bilateral relations between the two countries and internal security matters, the ministry said. “It was decided that 200 personnel of the Federal Constabulary Special Diplomatic Protection Unit will receive training in Saudi Arabia,” it stated. The two ministers also discussed the recent situation in the region, with the Saudi minister praising Pakistan’s positive role in reducing tensions, the ministry said.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs announced that Pakistan’s Hajj flight operation is set to conclude today, with 3,296 pilgrims departing for Saudi Arabia on 12 flights from various cities across the country.

Pakistan on Monday strongly condemned drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and expressed solidarity with the kingdom, a statement from the Foreign Office (FO) said. In a post on X, Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry reported that three drones were intercepted and destroyed on Monday morning, having originated from Iraqi airspace. The United Arab Emirates condemned the incident earlier today, while Iraq said it is investigating the incident. In its statement, the FO condemned in the strongest possible terms the drone attacks carried out against Riyadh, noting: “Such attacks constitute a serious violation of the kingdom’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and appear to be an attempt to further undermine regional peace and stability.” It added that the government and the people of Pakistan stand in solidarity with the Saudi government and people, reaffirming their “full and unwavering support for the kingdom’s security, peace and prosperity.” The incident occurred after strikes on the Barakah nuclear plant in the UAE...

The number of Pakistani pilgrims arriving in Saudi Arabia under the government Hajj scheme has reached 61,147 as Hajj flight operations continue successfully from different cities of Pakistan.

Pakistan’s pre-Hajj flight operation is continuing at full pace, with more than 46,000 pilgrims already arriving in Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Religious Affairs said on Wednesday.

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Religious Affairs on Saturday said that Saudi Arabia had reversed its decision to set the minimum age for Haj pilgrims at 15. Earlier in the day, the ministry, in a letter, had said that Saudi Arabia had set the minimum age for pilgrims at 15. It had said that the restrictions would be effective from 12am on May 3, 2026 (Monday). “The government of Saudi Arabia has assured that all affected pilgrims will receive a full refund of the deposited amount,” the ministry had assured the public. Subsequently, in a statement reiterating the new directives, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) had said, “No pilgrim under the age of 15 years will be allowed to board Hajj flights, and such visas shall be treated as cancelled under this policy.” However, hours later, the religious affairs ministry issued a new letter to officials, which stated the kingdom had “reversed its decision regarding the under-15-year age restriction for Haj”. It said that its previous instructions “may be deemed withdr...

Passport-related services for Pakistani citizens have been temporarily suspended at missions in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates due to technical issues.

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Tuesday the government had no plans to seek more bilateral financing from friendly countries and that Pakistan’s external position had stabilised following recent inflows from Saudi Arabia. The minister made these remarks on sidelines of the first high-level EU Pakistan Business Forum in Islamabad, organised by the European Union in collaboration with the government of Pakistan, marking a key step in strengthening bilateral economic ties. He said after securing $3 billion from Saudi Arabia, that there was no need for additional financing. Recently, Saudi Arabia had pledged an additional $3bn in deposits for Pakistan and extended its existing $5bn facility for a further three years. Subsequently, Pakistan received $2bn from the kingdom on April 15 and another $1bn on April 21 under the arrangement. Aurangzeb said the government was now shifting its focus towards commercial borrowing rather than bilateral financing. He said the government was set to issue a...

ISLAMABAD - The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) received $1 billion from the Ministry of Finance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, marking the second tranche of a $3 billion deposit agreed recently.

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has received $1 billion from Saudi Arabia as the second tranche of a recently agreed $3 billion financial support package, the central bank said on Tuesday.

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) confirmed on Tuesday that Pakistan has received $1 billion from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. “State Bank of Pakistan has received funds of US$1 billion from Ministry of Finance, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the value date of 20April2026.” The central bank said this is the second tranche of the $3bn deposit recently agreed by Saudi Arabia. The first tranche of $2bn was transferred last week. The development came following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia to push diplomatic efforts to promote peace in the Middle East. On Friday, the kingdom pledged an additional $3bn in deposits for Pakistan and extended its existing $5bn facility for a further three years. Pakistan will reportedly return a $3.5bn loan to the UAE this month, putting pressure on its reserves and risking breaches of its International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme targets. The development comes at a sensitive time for the country’s external account position, which is already under strain from ris...

The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt exchanged views on “evolving regional dynamics,” the Foreign Office (FO) said in a post on X on Saturday. According to the FO, the meeting took place on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkiye. It included Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Turkiye Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr Badr Abdelatty. In an effort to halt the US-Israeli war on Iran, the foreign ministers of the four countries had held two meetings ahead of the announcement of ceasefire, which is set to expire on April 22. The first meeting was held in Riyadh on the sidelines of a consultative ministerial meeting, while the second meeting was held in Islamabad. On Saturday, the FO said that the foreign ministers “exchanged views on evolving regional dynamics, reaffirming the vital role of dialogue and diplomacy in promoting peace, stability and shared prosperity”. ...

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Friday signed an agreement to extend a $3 billion deposit from the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD). Saudi Arabia, earlier this week, pledged an additional $3 billion in deposits for Pakistan and extended its existing $5bn facility for a further three years. “The agreement, signed between the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), provides for the extension in the maturity of a USD 3 billion deposit placed by SFD with the State Bank of Pakistan,” said a post on X by the Ministry of Finance. The ministry said that the agreement was signed between SBP Governor Jameel Ahmed and Chief Executive Officer of the SFD Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad. Minister for Finance and Muhammad Aurangzeb witnessed the signing of an important financial agreement in Washington, DC, in the presence of Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States. The development took place on the sidelines of the World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings. The ministry added that the extension of the...

ISLAMABAD - The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said it has received $2 billion from Saudi Arabia, boosting foreign exchange reserves and providing support to the country’s external position.

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) confirmed on Thursday that Pakistan has received $2 billion from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The central bank said the funds were received “in the value date of April 15, 2026”. The development comes amid Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia to push diplomatic efforts to promote peace in the Middle East. A day earlier, the kingdom pledged an additional $3bn in deposits for Pakistan and extended its existing $5bn facility for a further three years. On Thursday, the Saudi Press Agency also reported that Saudi Arabia had extended the $5bn deposit with the central bank and announced an “additional $3bn deposit”. “This assistance aims at supporting Pakistan’s economy and strengthening its resilience amidst evolving global economic challenges, and comes in accordance with the leadership’s directives to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood between the two countries, affirming the kingdom’s commitment to fostering the economic growth of Pakistan, which is expected to ...

Saudi Arabia has reinforced its financial backing for Pakistan by depositing $2 billion into the account of the State Bank of Pakistan, providing immediate support to the country’s foreign exchange reserves.

Islamabad - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on the first leg of his four-day three-nation tour on Wednesday.

Shehbaz Sharif is set to embark on a four-day official visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey from Wednesday, as Pakistan intensifies diplomatic engagement ahead of a possible second round of US-Iran peace talks.

Saudi Arabia has pledged an additional $3 billion in deposits for Pakistan and has extended its existing $5bn facility for a further three years, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced in Washington. Pakistan will reportedly return a $3.5bn loan to the UAE this month, putting pressure on its reserves and risking breaches of its International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme targets. He added that the existing $5bn Saudi deposit would no longer be subject to the previous annual rollover arrangement and would instead be extended for a longer term. The finance minister made the announcement while speaking to media representatives in Washington, DC, on the sidelines of the World Bank–IMF Spring Meetings 2026, where he shared key details on Saudi financial support for Pakistan and the government’s external financing strategy. According to the finance czar, the support from the kingdom comes at a “critical time” for Pakistan’s external financing needs and would help “reinforce foreign exchange reserves and stre...

ISLAMABAD - Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister (DPM/FM), Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Tuesday met with Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkiye, Musa Kulaklikaya, Assistant Foreign Minister of Egypt, Ambassador Nazih El Naggari, and Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, Prince Dr Abdullah bin Khalid bin Saud Al-Kabeer.