By Staff Reporter
Pakistan has set up an 18-member committee to drive bilateral economic talks and negotiations with Saudi Arabia, according to a notification from the Prime Minister’s Office.
The group, co-chaired by Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik and Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ahmad, national coordinator for the Special Investment Facilitation Council, is tasked with expediting deals as ties between the two nations deepen. The co-chairs “shall constitute core/negotiation teams for negotiations with the Saudi counterparts,” the Oct. 5 notification said.
Those teams will handle implementation and execution of tasks on a fast-track basis. “The prime minister has directed that the SIFC shall submit proposals for the travel of members of the committee from Pakistan to KSA and back, and the PMO will ensure that these are processed/approved within one hour of the same working day,” it added.
Other members include Economic Affairs Division Minister Ahad Khan Cheema, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (Minister of State) for Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan, Power Minister Awais Ahmed Leghari, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain, Communication Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja.
The initiative highlights the enduring multifaceted ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, grounded in shared economic interests, strategic military cooperation and Islamic heritage. The kingdom has long provided economic aid and energy supplies to Islamabad, including as a major source of financial assistance and oil.
In February, Riyadh agreed to a $1.2 billion deferred oil facility, disbursing $100 million monthly through February 2026. Pakistan is also pushing for a rollover of $5 billion in Saudi loans — $2 billion due in December 2025 and $3 billion in June 2026 — at a concessional 4% interest rate. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last year described Riyadh as “central to Pakistan’s economy” during a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh.
The committee’s launch coincides with the arrival of a Saudi business delegation in Pakistan this week, aimed at launching what Islamabad hopes will become a wider investment push, though big commitments may depend on domestic reforms, according to officials and experts. It follows a mutual defence pact signed last month, committing both sides to a joint response against aggression.
Pakistani officials expect initial investments of around $1 billion, potentially via a new fund, to pave the way for stronger economic links akin to their military alliance. The delegation, led by Prince Mansour bin Mohammad al-Saud, former governor of Hafar Al-Batin Province, has modest goals, with Pakistan eyeing larger Saudi commitments in the coming months. What Pakistan stands to gain remains somewhat opaque, though analysts anticipate a financial boost.
The Saudis are targeting sectors including technology, sports equipment and food and agriculture, a source involved in the process said. The group is slated to meet Sharif. Islamabad is courting major inflows into state-owned enterprises and a new petrochemicals plant, officials said. Saudi Arabia has previously expressed interest in Pakistan’s mining sector, including acquiring a portion of the government’s stake in the multibillion-dollar Reko Diq copper mine in western Pakistan.
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