Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed from Islamabad for Jeddah on Wednesday, kicking off a series of official visits to Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Qatar, according to the Foreign Office (FO).
The prime minister, accompanied by a high-level delegation, is undertaking official visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkiye from April 15 to 18, the FO said in a press release on Wednesday.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), PM Shehbaz will hold a meeting with top Saudi leadership, including Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammad bin Salman.
In its statement, the FO said the visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar are “in the bilateral context”. It added that the premier will meet the leadership there to “discuss ongoing bilateral cooperation as well as regional peace and security”.
In Turkiye, he will participate in the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum and present Pakistan’s position in the Leaders’ Panel along with other world leaders, the FO added.
“Pakistan’s participation in the forum reflects its continued commitment to constructive diplomacy, multilateral cooperation, and meaningful engagement with the international community on issues of global importance,” the FO statement said.
On the sidelines of the forum, PM Shehbaz was “expected to hold bilateral meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other key world leaders”.
The premier is accompanied by Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Tariq Fatemi, as well as other senior officials.
Gulf countries — including Saudi Arabia — were facing Iranian attacks, which Tehran says were aimed at US and Israeli sites in response to the latter’s deadly large-scale strikes. Pakistan intensified efforts to act as a mediator between the United States and Iran to end the war that had engulfed the Middle East, leading to a fragile temporary ceasefire and a first round of talks in Islamabad.
Last month, PM Shehbaz hailed Saudi Arabia for showing “remarkable restraint” during the ongoing hostilities and stressed the need for urgent de-escalation.
On March 9, PM Shehbaz held a “restricted meeting” with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to a statement by the PM’s spokesperson.
During the meeting, the prime minister expressed Pakistan’s “full solidarity and support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in these challenging times”, and both leaders agreed to work together for regional peace and stability.
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 $5bn facility for a further three years.
The ministry further stated 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.
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, PM Shehbaz and 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.
