Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif to visit Saudi Arabia from Apr 28-30 on his maiden visit abroad

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to Saudi Arabia from April 28 to 30 on his maiden official visit abroad during which he will hold talks with the top Saudi leadership, with particular focus on advancing economic, trade and investment ties, Foreign Office said on Wednesday.

Sharif, 70, was sworn in as Pakistan's 23rd prime minister on April 11 after his predecessor Imran Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote.

He has been invited for the trip by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Foreign Office said in a statement here.

''This would be the Prime Minister's first visit abroad after assuming Office earlier this month. The Prime Minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including key members of the Cabinet," it said.

During the visit, Prime Minister Sharif will have bilateral interaction with the Saudi leadership, with particular focus on advancing economic, trade and investment ties and creation of 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.

The bilateral relationship is complemented by close mutual collaboration at regional and international fora. Saudi Arabia is a member of the Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation contact group on Kashmir.

On the sidelines of the visit, Sharif would also visit Mecca to perform Umrah pilgrimage.

According to earlier reports, around 40 people will accompany the prime minister on the official visit. They included 16 family members, some of them will join the prime minister from the United Kingdom and Dubai.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb, responding to allegations by leaders of former premier Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) about the cost of the tour, criticised them for spreading "lies" about prime minister Sharif's maiden trip to Saudi Arabia.

She said Prime Minister Sharif will travel to Saudi Arabia on a commercial flight at his own expense. ''Even during his 10 years as CM Punjab during 2008-18, he always travelled commercially and at his own expense," she added.

The Gulf Kingdom is also home to more than two million Pakistanis, contributing to the progress, prosperity and economic development of the two brotherly countries.

In his first address to the parliament soon after election as the prime minister of the country, Sharif had highlighted special ties with Saudi Arabia.

Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman earlier sent congratulatory messages to Shehbaz on becoming Pakistan's new prime minister and wished him success.

Following General Pervez Musharraf's coup in 1999 toppling the Nawaz Sharif government, Sharif along with the family spent eight years in exile in Saudi Arabia before returning to Pakistan in 2007.

Last week, Sharif met with Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al Malki and "vowed to explore new avenues of bilateral relations between the two countries.'' The Saudi Ambassador reaffirmed the Gulf Kingdom's commitment to take the ''brotherly relations to new heights.'' In December 2021, Pakistan had taken a USD 3 billion loan from Saudi Arabia on very tough conditions after its official gross foreign exchange reserves dipped below USD 16 billion.

Regular high-level visits are a key feature of this special relationship and the visit by Prime Minister Sharif will impart a strong impetus to deepening bilateral cooperation in diverse fields and further reinforce the growing partnership between the two countries, according to FO.