Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will depart from Islamabad for Jeddah today on an official visit to Saudi Arabia, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a post on social media on Wednesday.
The premier will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, the statement said.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have long shared 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.
Earlier today, the finance ministry announced that Saudi Arabia has pledged an additional $3 billion in deposits for Pakistan and has extended its existing $5 billion facility for a further three years.
The ministry further stated that the existing $5 billion Saudi deposit would no longer be subject to the previous annual rollover arrangement and would instead be extended for a longer term.
On April 11, the Saudi defence ministry confirmed that Pakistan has sent a military force and fighter jets to Saudi Arabia to boost security under a joint defence cooperation agreement between the two countries.
In September of last year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed a “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement” in Riyadh, pledging that any attack on either nation would be treated as an act of aggression against both.
More to follow
