By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, concluded a one-day official visit to Pakistan on Friday, holding substantive talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that underscored efforts to expand economic ties and cooperation in a range of sectors amid deepening fraternal relations between the two nations.
The discussions, described in a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office as focusing on strengthening bilateral bonds, reviewed progress in ongoing collaborations and explored ways to broaden engagement in economic cooperation, investment, energy, infrastructure development, information technology, technology and people-to-people exchanges. The leaders also emphasised the importance of enhancing bilateral trade, which the statement noted “had great potential for mutually beneficial growth.”
They exchanged views on regional and international developments and reaffirmed their shared commitment to close coordination on matters of mutual interest. Expressing satisfaction with the positive trajectory of relations, the two leaders “reiterated their determination to continue to work together closely to advance the shared objective of peace, stability, and sustainable development,” the statement said.
The visit, Sheikh Mohamed’s first as president, came at the invitation of Sharif and followed a private trip to Pakistan in January, when he met the prime minister in Rahim Yar Khan. A Foreign Office statement ahead of the arrival highlighted that it would “provide an important opportunity to further strengthen the longstanding brotherly relations between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates,” reflecting “the depth of bilateral relations between both nations and their shared commitment to bolster collaboration in key areas, including trade, investment, energy, development and regional stability.”
Sheikh Mohamed, accompanied by a high-level delegation that included his advisers Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, the UAE ambassador to Pakistan, Salem Mohammed Al Zaabi, and several federal ministers and senior officials, arrived at Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi earlier in the day. As his aircraft entered Pakistani airspace, it was escorted by a formation of JF-17 fighter jets from the Pakistan Air Force, a gesture of welcome detailed in the Prime Minister’s Office statement. On the tarmac, he was received by Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and members of the federal cabinet. The national anthems of both countries were played, followed by a 21-gun salute. A guard of honor was presented by a contingent of the Pakistani armed forces, with military and traditional bands performing. Children dressed in traditional attire, waving flags of Pakistan and the UAE, lined the route, adding a colorful touch to the ceremony.
The Emirati president was “greeted with the greatest warmth and cordial welcome upon his arrival,” according to the statement, which added that the visit “will further consolidate the deep brotherly ties between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates and contribute to further strengthening of their strategic partnership.” In preparation, Islamabad was adorned with Pakistani and Emirati flags and large billboards featuring images of Sheikh Mohamed alongside President Asif Ali Zardari and Sharif. The district administration declared a public holiday in the federal capital, closing the Islamabad High Court, district courts, the Senate Secretariat, the National Assembly Secretariat and the Federal Constitutional Court, though essential services like hospitals, police, the Capital Development Authority, utility providers and banks remained operational. Traffic police implemented an extensive plan to manage movement during the visit.
The ties between Pakistan and the UAE are rooted in close diplomatic, economic and cultural connections, bolstered by historical links and a substantial Pakistani expatriate community in the Emirates. The UAE ranks as one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners — third after China and the United States — and a vital source of remittances, with thousands of Pakistanis employed across various sectors.
The two countries collaborate on defense, energy and investment initiatives, and the UAE has provided financial aid and humanitarian assistance to Pakistan over the years. Emirati investment in Pakistan has surpassed $10 billion in the past two decades, according to the UAE’s foreign ministry. Policymakers in Islamabad see the UAE as a key export market, aided by its proximity, which lowers transportation costs. In April, the nations signed several memorandums of understanding to enhance people-to-people bonds, including agreements on cultural cooperation, a joint committee for consular affairs and the establishment of a UAE-Pakistan Joint Business Council between their respective chambers of commerce and industry.
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