P.M. Shehbaz Sharif meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud on April 7, 2024. Photo courtesy PID
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Sunday at an iftar dinner in Makkah, which was also attended by Prime Minister of Bahrain and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Sharif conveyed prayers and best wishes for the health and well-being of the custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz. He also expressed gratitude for the warm welcome accorded to him and his delegation by Saudi authorities.
During their meeting, the Crown Prince and prime minister appreciated the positive trajectory of longstanding fraternal relations between their nations, and reaffirmed a resolve to further strengthen bilateral ties. After the dinner, the two leaders also held a one-on-one bilateral meeting during which they discussed bilateral relations, matters of mutual interest, and Pak-Saudi bilateral trade and investment.
The high-profile visit, per local media, aims to finalize multiple development projects, as well as Saudi Arabia’s investment in the Reko Diq project.
Sharif and members of his cabinet reached Saudi Arabia on Saturday and would return to Pakistan today (Monday). Traveling on a commercial flight, the delegation performed Umrah prior to meeting MBS for iftar. Among the officials accompanying the prime minister are Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar; Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif; Information Minister Ataullah Tarar; Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb; and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.