ISLAMABAD: A high-level business delegation from Saudi Arabia has arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday for an official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral economic cooperation, the Foreign Office said.
According to the statement, Prince Mansour bin Mohammad Al Saud, Chairman of the Saudi-Pakistan Joint Business Council, is heading the high-level business delegation.
During their stay, Prince Mansour and the accompanying delegation "will hold meetings with Pakistan’s leadership, senior government officials, chambers of commerce, and leading business groups to explore new avenues for enhanced trade and investment collaboration between the two brotherly countries."
It added that the visit underscored the deep-rooted and brotherly ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, reflecting their shared commitment to expanding economic and investment partnerships under the framework of the Saudi-Pakistan Joint Business Council.
"Discussions during the visit are expected to focus on trade and investment facilitation, with special emphasis on collaboration across priority sectors aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 and Pakistan’s economic growth agenda," it added.
The visit comes weeks after Islamabad and Riyadh signed a "Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement" on September 17, pledging that any attack on either nation would be treated as an act of aggression against both.
"This agreement, which reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieve security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defence cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression. The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both," a statement from the prime minister's office said.
The pact was signed during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s state visit to Riyadh, where he was received by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman at Al-Yamamah Palace.
“Building on a partnership extending nearly eight decades, and grounded in bonds of brotherhood, Islamic solidarity and shared strategic interests, the two sides signed the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement,” the joint statement said.
Experts have described the agreement as a "historic and unprecedented development", elevating bilateral ties into a formal security commitment. They noted that while Pakistan has previously joined various defence pacts, this accord stands out for its binding clause that treats any aggression against either country as an attack on both.