| Governor Medina receives Shehbaz upon arrival | PM to hold high-level meetings with Kingdom’s leadership during 3-day long visit | Expresses gratefulness to Saudis for ‘consistent support’ | Says his visit to take Pak-Saudi ties to ‘unknown heights’ | Bilawal Bhutto, Khawaja Asif, Miftah Ismail, other officials accompanying Prime Minister
DM Monitoring
MEDINA: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has arrived in Medina on a three-day official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Upon arrival, Prime Minister Sharif was received by Governor Medina Prince Faisal Bin Salman Al Saud and high-level Saudi officials. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, and other federal ministers are accompanying the prime minister. This is PM Sharif’s first foreign trip after assuming office earlier this month. During the visit, the premier will hold talks with the Saudi leadership, with particular focus on advancing economic, trade and investment ties and creation of greater opportunities for the Pakistani workforce in the kingdom.
The two sides will also exchange views on a range of regional and international issues of mutual interest. The prime minister will visit Roza-e-Rasool (SAWW). He will also perform Umrah in Makkah. A Foreign Office spokesperson said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are bound by fraternal relationship marked by mutual trust and understanding, close cooperation, and an abiding tradition of supporting each other. “The people of Pakistan hold the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in the highest esteem,” he added.
Before leaving for Medina, PM said Pakistan was thankful to Saudi Arabia for its “consistent support” in difficult times and his visit to the kingdom after taking oath as the premier reflected this “special relationship”. In a video message, Shehbaz said he was delighted that his first visit abroad was to Saudi Arabia which reflected Pakistan’s historic and special relations with Riyadh.
The premier said Pakistan and Saudis were bound by deep-rooted ties built on solid foundations of mutual trust. “We are profoundly grateful for its consistent support to Pakistan in its difficult hours,” he said, adding that Pakistan always stood by Saudis and would continue to do so.
He also thanked Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman for the invite and lauded his 2030 vision for achieving “greater progress” for his people.
Shehbaz also lauded commitment to the Muslim causes as he looked forward to “interaction with the Saudi leadership to review the bilateral ties” and take them to the “unknown heights”.
“I would also like to convey sincere good wishes to Pakistani expats in the Kingdom,” the prime minister said calling them key partners in fortifying ties with Pakistan.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif left for Saudi Arabia on a three-day visit. Federal Ministers and parliamentarians, including Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Miftah Ismail, Shahzain Bugti, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Khawaja Asif, Ch Salik Hussain, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, and Mohsin Dawar accompanied the prime minister.
“Today, I am embarking on a visit to Saudi Arabia to renew and reaffirm our bonds of brotherhood and friendship,” the prime minister said in a tweet ahead of his three-day visit to Saudi Arabia on April 28-30.
PM Shehbaz, who will undertake his maiden foreign trip on the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, said he would hold wide-ranging discussions with the Saudi leadership. “Saudi Arabia is one of our greatest friends and as Custodian of the Two Holy Places, has a special place in all our hearts,” he said.
During the visit, he will have bilateral interaction with the Saudi leadership, with a particular focus on advancing economic, trade, and investment ties and creating greater opportunities for the Pakistani workforce in Saudi Arabia. The two sides will also exchange views on a range of regional and international issues of mutual interest.
