Saudi Arabia | Pakistan

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said on Thursday that Saudi Arabia has agreed to extend the $3 billion deposit held with the bank for another year. It said the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), on behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has rolled over the deposit, which was set to mature on Monday. “The extension of the term of the deposit is a continuation of the support provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which will help in strengthening the foreign exchange reserves of Pakistan and contribute to the country’s economic growth and development,” the bank said. The $3bn deposit was initially agreed upon in 2021 and rolled over in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Last week, the SBP said its forei­­gn exchange reserves rose by a meagre $9 million to $14.560bn during the week ending Nov 21. However, the country’s total liquid foreign reserves decreased to $19.605bn from the previous week’s $19.738bn due to a decline in commercial banks’ foreign exchange holdings, which fell from $5.1...

Saudi Arabia plans to open two new alcohol stores, including one serving non-Muslim, foreign staff at state oil giant Aramco, as the kingdom further eases restrictions, according to people briefed on the plans. The launch of outlets in the eastern province of Dhahran and one for diplomats in the port city of Jeddah would be a further milestone in efforts, led by de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to open up the country. The kingdom last year opened an alcohol store serving non-Muslim diplomats in the capital Riyadh — the first such outlet since a ban was brought in 73 years ago. Store planned in Aramco compound, says source The new store in Dhahran will be set up in a compound owned by Aramco, one of the three people who talked to Reuters said. That store would be open for non-Muslims working for Aramco, the source added, who said Saudi authorities had informed them of the plan. Two of the sources said a third liquor store was also in the works for non-Muslim diplomats in the city of Jeddah, whe...

The F-35 fighter jets the United States plans to sell Saudi Arabia will be less advanced than those operated by Israel, in line with a US law that guarantees Israel’s military edge in the region, US officials and defence experts said on Wednesday. US President Donald Trump announced the sale this week, but officials said the Saudi aircraft will lack the superior features of Israel’s fleet, which include advanced weapons systems and electronic warfare equipment. Israel enjoys unique permissions to modify its F-35s, including the ability to integrate its own weapons systems and add radar-jamming capabilities and other upgrades that do not require US approval. Still, the Israeli Air Force opposed the planned sale, warning in a position paper to political leaders that it would undermine Israel’s air superiority in the region, The Times of Israel reported on Tuesday. Even if Saudi Arabia gets the jets, it is unlikely to receive the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM), next-generation air-to-air missiles...

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Saudi Arabia was being designated as a “major, non-Nato ally”. “Tonight, I’m pleased to announce that we’re taking our military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-Nato ally, which is something that is very important to them,” Trump said during a formal black-tie dinner at the White House. “And I’m just telling you now for the first time, because they wanted to keep a little secret for tonight,” Trump said of the designation, which only 19 other countries have previously received. View this post on Instagram According to Politico, the other countries in that category include Israel, Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar. The status provides a US partner with military and economic privileges but does not entail security commitments. US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June had made Saudi Arabia safer, Trump added. Meanwhile, bin Salman had earlier promised to increase his country’s US investment to $1 trillion from a $600 ...

A fatal accident involving a bus filled with Indian pilgrims killed at least 45 people near Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Madina, Indian police said on Monday, one of the deadliest crashes in the Gulf kingdom in years. “The tragic bus accident involving Indian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia is deeply distressing,” VC Sajjanar, police commissioner for the city of Hyderabad, where many of the Indian citizens were reported to have come from, told reporters. “According to preliminary information, 46 people were travelling in the bus at the time of the incident, and heartbreakingly, only one person survived,” he said. Saudi officials have not provided a toll for the crash. Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences in a post on social media, saying the Indian embassy was working with Saudi officials on the ground. “Deeply saddened by the accident in Medina involving Indian nationals. My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones,” the prime minister wrote on X. “I pray for t...

The military leadership of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia vowed to enhance bilateral defence cooperation and reaffirmed their resolve to further deepen ties between the two countries, a statement from the military’s media wing said. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the commitment was made during a meeting of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, with the Chief of General Staff of the Saudi Armed Forces, General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, in Saudi Arabia. The Pakistani official is on an official visit to the Kingdom. “During the meeting, both sides discussed the evolving global and regional environment and avenues for enhancing bilateral defence cooperation,” the ISPR said. “The military leadership reaffirmed their resolve to further deepen the strong brotherly ties and enduring defence partnership between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.” In recognition of his significant contributions in deepening Pakistan-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia relationship, in ...

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Saturday signed a formal agreement finalising the arrangements and facilities for Hajj 2026, marking the start of preparations for next year’s pilgrimage.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia formally signed an agreement for Haj 2026, state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Sunday. According to the report, “Saudi Deputy Minister for Haj and Umrah Dr Abdulfattah Bin Sulaiman Mashat and Secretary Ministry of Religious Affairs of Pakistan Dr Syed Ata-ur-Rehman signed the agreement in Jeddah on Saturday.” Haj, one of the fundamental pillars of Islam, is performed each year by millions of Muslims worldwide. Pakistan receives one of the highest Haj quotas from Saudi Arabia. Dr Syed Ata-ur-Rehman expressed gratitude for the Saudi government’s excellent efforts in hosting and providing facilities to the guests of Allah, the report added. “Like last year, Pakistani pilgrims will be provided with high-quality services this year,” the report quoted Dr Rehman as saying. The secretary further expressed the determination of the Ministry of Religious Affairs to complete arrangements for both government and private Haj schemes in a timely and effective manner, in accordance with the guideli...

The Trump administration is considering a Saudi Arabian request to buy as many as 48 F-35 fighter jets, a potential multi-billion-dollar deal that has cleared a key Pentagon hurdle ahead of a visit by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, two sources familiar with the matter said. A sale would mark a significant policy shift, potentially altering the military balance in the Middle East and testing Washington’s definition of maintaining Israel’s “qualitative military edge.” Saudi Arabia made a direct appeal earlier this year to US President Donald Trump and has long been interested in Lockheed Martin’s fighter, one of the people and a US official said. The Pentagon is now weighing a potential sale of 48 of the advanced aircraft, the US official and the person familiar with the talks told Reuters. The size of the request and its status have not been previously reported. The US official and a second US official, who acknowledged the weapons deal was moving through the system, said no final decision has been made and...

The inaugural Esports Olympics scheduled to be held in 2027 will no longer be hosted by Saudi Arabia, the International Olympic Committee announced on Thursday. The IOC and the Saudi National Olympic Committee “mutually agreed that they will end their cooperation on the Olympic Esports Games”, a statement said. The first Esports Games was originally slated to be held this year in Riyadh but were postponed in February. The Saudis were guaranteed the hosting of the Games for 12 years from 2025, when the agreement was first announced by the IOC in July last year. Then-IOC president Thomas Bach had been influential in the creation of the event but has since been replaced at the helm by Kirsty Coventry. Olympic Esports Series competitions, smaller virtual sports events run by the IOC, were held in 2021 and 2023. They were widely panned by gaming critics over the lack of traditional esports titles. “Recently, the two parties and the Esports World Cup Foundation sat down again and reviewed this initiative,” the IOC ...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has returned to Islamabad following his official visit to Saudi Arabia, where he met with top Saudi leadership and attended the 9th Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday launched the Economic Cooperation Framework, which is based on their shared economic interests and reaffirms their desire to strengthen trade and investment relations. The decision to launch the framework was taken during a Monday meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of the Ninth Edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII9) in Riyadh, according to a statement from the Foreign Office (FO). The FII9 convened global leaders, investors, policymakers, and innovators to explore the theme, ‘The Key to Prosperity: Unlocking New Frontiers of Growth’ and discuss key topics such as innovation, sustainability, economic inclusion, and geopolitical shifts. “As part of the framework, several strategic and high-impact projects will be discussed in the economic, trade, investment and development fields that will contribute to strengthening cooperation between the two governments, enhancing the pivotal role of the pr...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has departed for Saudi Arabia to participate in the Ninth Edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII9) being held in Riyadh from October 27 to 29, 2025, at the invitation of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to Saudi Arabia from October 27 to 29, the Foreign Office confirmed on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia has banned employers from charging any fees to their domestic workers, including for recruitment and work permits, setting maximum penalties of a fine worth 20,000 riyals (SR) and a three-year ban on hiring, according to Saudi Gazette. The Saudi outlet reported on Monday that employers were banned from “charging any fees from their domestic workers”, including those “related to recruitment, change of professions, transfer of services, residency permit (iqama) and work permits”. Saudi Gazette said the provisions were included in the “Guide to the Rights and Obligations of Domestic Workers”, issued by the Saudi human resources ministry. It added that the new regulations “include a package of rights that guarantee the domestic worker a decent life and a stable work environment”. According to a guide available on the Saudi human resources ministry’s website, professions/jobs permitted by law in the domestic worker sector include “domestic worker, private driver, educator, home nurse, home cook, home ...

Saudi Arabia joined other nations on Monday in welcoming the ceasefire agreed between Pakistan and Afghanistan after days of border hostilities, affirming its support for efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability between the two countries. The ceasefire was agreed early yesterday morning during talks between Afghan and Pakistani delegations in Doha with the mediation of Qatar and Turkiye. A next round of negotiations between the two sides is scheduled to be held in Istanbul on October 25. A statement posted on the Saudi foreign ministry’s X account said it “expresses the kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s welcome of the signing by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Afghanistan of an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of mechanisms to consolidate lasting peace and stability between the two countries, during the round of negotiations held in Doha.” “The kingdom affirms its support for all regional and international efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability, and its continued commitment to ensuring sec...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake a three-day official visit to Saudi Arabia next week, in a move aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s diplomatic and economic ties with the Kingdom.

Saudi Arabia is discussing a defence deal with the United States which it hopes to seal when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visits the White House next month, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. A senior Trump administration official told the Financial Times there were discussions about signing something when the crown prince comes, but the details are in flux. The FT said the deal in discussion was similar to the recent US-Qatar pact that pledged to treat any armed attack on Qatar as a threat to the United States. The US deal with Qatar came after Israel last month attempted to kill leaders of Hamas with an air strike on Doha. The US State Department told the FT that defence co-operation with the kingdom was a “strong bedrock of our regional strategy,” but declined to comment on details of the potential deal. The US State Department, the White House and the Saudi government did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on the FT report. Last month, Pakis­tan a...

Pakistan is expanding its trade and investment footprint in Saudi Arabia, with over 100 Pakistani information technology (IT) firms now formally registered to operate in the Kingdom.

KARACHI: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) aimed at promoting collaboration in information technology and sports, marking a step forward in bilateral engagement focused on youth development and technological cooperation. The Letters of Intent (LoIs) were signed at a ceremony held at the Governor House late Friday night in the presence of Saudi-Pakistan Joint Business Council (SPJBC) Chairman Prince Mansour bin Mohammad bin Saad Al Saud and Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori. Saudi Ambassador Nawaf Saeed Al-Malki, Consul General Mohammed Abdullah Al-Subaie and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ahmed Farooq also attended the event. Under the MoUs, both countries agreed to collaborate on IT education, youth exchange programmes, joint training initiatives and sporting events to promote skills development and people-to-people connections. KCCI urges Saudi investment in petrochemicals and agriculture Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Tessori described Pak-Saudi relat...