Latest news with #PakistanUAE
Arab News
2 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan PM heads to UAE for daylong visit, talks with president
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed for the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday for a daylong official visit to meet President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and hold talks with the UAE leadership, the Pakistani government said. The trip comes amid Pakistan's efforts to deepen strategic and economic ties with Gulf nations, especially the UAE, which has remained a key financial and diplomatic partner. 'Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by a delegation, has departed from Islamabad for a one-day official visit to the United Arab Emirates,' his office said in a statement. 'He is undertaking the visit on the invitation of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi,' it continued. 'The Prime Minister will meet the UAE leadership during the visit.' The UAE is Pakistan's third-largest trading partner, home to over a million Pakistani expatriates, and a critical source of investment. It played a key role in helping Pakistan avert a balance-of-payments crisis in recent years by depositing funds in the central bank, which facilitated a bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). According to a statement issued by the foreign office a day earlier, Sharif is expected to follow up on more than $3 billion in cooperation agreements signed during his earlier visit in January 2024. In a phone call last month, Sharif and the UAE president discussed bilateral ties and regional security following a sharp military escalation between Pakistan and India. Islamabad praised the UAE's 'constructive diplomatic role' during the crisis.
The National
2 days ago
- Business
- The National
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to visit UAE on Thursday
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit the UAE on Thursday to discuss strengthening ties between the countries. Mr Sharif will be in Abu Dhabi for a day-long visit, Pakistani officials said. The Pakistani leader will be accompanied by Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, plus other senior federal ministers. 'The visit reflects the deep-rooted fraternal ties between Pakistan and the UAE,' a spokesman from Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Mr Sharif is scheduled to meet UAE leaders to discuss issues of bilateral, regional and global interest, the ministry said. His visit will seek to bolster relations between the two countries, deepen economic ties and collaboration, added officials. Mr Sharif met President Sheikh Mohamed on his last visit to the UAE in February, and also attended the World Governments Summit in Dubai. During the meeting in Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed and Mr Sharif reviewed efforts to bolster co-operation and strengthen economic and trade ties. Sheikh Mohamed earlier met Mr Sharif in the city of Rahim Yar Khan in January, during a visit to Pakistan. The UAE is home to about 1.7 million Pakistani citizens and relations between the two countries date back to the foundation of the Emirates in 1971.
Arab News
14-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan resolves to enhance UAE ties into ‘mutually beneficial economic partnership'
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reaffirmed his country's resolve to strengthen Pakistan's ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) into a 'mutually beneficial economic partnership,' his office said in a statement. Sharif's government has moved closer to the UAE in recent months in its efforts to attract international investment and ensure stability for Pakistan's fragile $350 billion economy. In January last year, Pakistan and the UAE signed multiple agreements worth more than $3 billion for cooperation in railways, economic zones and infrastructure, a Pakistani official said. Sharif spoke to UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan over the telephone, the Pakistani Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said. He noted 'with great satisfaction' that bilateral cooperation between the two countries was progressing, especially in the areas of economy and investment. 'He [Sharif] renewed his strong resolve to transform the existing Pakistan-UAE ties into a mutually beneficial economic partnership,' the statement said. Both leaders discussed Pakistan's recent tensions with India which triggered an armed conflict between the two nations recently. India and Pakistan pounded each other with missiles, drones, and artillery fire last week. The conflict erupted when India fired missiles into Pakistan last Wednesday after weeks of tensions over an attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on Apr 22. New Delhi blamed the attack on Pakistan, while Islamabad denied involvement. US President Donald Trump announced Washington had brokered a ceasefire between the two states on Saturday after Pakistan launched retaliatory strikes. 'During their warm and cordial conversation, the Prime Minister conveyed profound gratitude for UAE's diplomatic efforts and constructive role to defuse the recent crisis in South Asia,' the PMO said. 'He added the UAE had always stood by Pakistan, through thick and thin.' Sharif's office said he reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to uphold the ceasefire understanding, as well as its resolve to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity at all costs. 'The UAE President welcomed the ceasefire understanding, while appreciating Pakistan's efforts for peace,' the PMO said. Separately, Sharif also spoke to UN chief Antonio Guterres to thank him for his efforts to defuse tensions in South Asia, the PMO said. The UAE holds immense importance for Pakistan, given that it is Islamabad's third-largest trading partner after China and the United States, and a major source of foreign investment, valued at over $10 billion in the last 20 years, according to the UAE foreign ministry. It is also home to more than a million Pakistani expatriates. Policymakers in Pakistan consider the UAE an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.
