New Year call highlights close Pak–Saudi partnership
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar held a New Year telephone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, underscoring the warmth and continuity of Pakistan’s relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Dar conveyed Season’s Greetings and best wishes for the New Year to Prince Faisal, which were warmly reciprocated. The exchange of greetings set the tone for a broader discussion on bilateral ties and developments in the wider region.
According to the Foreign Office, both sides reviewed the evolving situation in the region and shared their assessments of recent political and security trends. The conversation reaffirmed that Riyadh and Islamabad remain in close contact on key regional issues.
Commitment to stronger Pak–Saudi cooperation
During the call, Senator Ishaq Dar expressed satisfaction over what he described as the positive trajectory of Pakistan–Saudi relations. He reassured the Saudi foreign minister that Islamabad is determined to further strengthen cooperation with the Kingdom across a wide range of sectors.
These areas include trade, investment, energy, labour, defence and people-to-people links. Pakistan has long seen Saudi Arabia as a key strategic partner, not only as a source of energy supplies and financial support, but also as a country hosting a large Pakistani expatriate community.
Prince Faisal, in turn, reiterated Riyadh’s commitment to deepening and expanding bilateral ties. He underlined the importance of continued engagement between the two governments to support regional peace, stability and economic growth. The call reflected the longstanding nature of the Pak–Saudi partnership and the intention on both sides to keep it strong in the coming year.
PM Shehbaz meets UAE president in Rahim Yar Khan
On the same day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif travelled to Rahim Yar Khan for a meeting with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, at Sheikh Zayed Palace. The meeting came just days after the UAE president’s first official visit to Pakistan as head of state, during which he held talks in Islamabad.
Prime Minister Shehbaz was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Information Minister Ata Tarar. According to the official handout, the discussion in Rahim Yar Khan built on the agenda agreed in Islamabad, with both sides focused on expanding strategic and economic cooperation.
The timing of the meeting, only hours after Prince Faisal’s call with DPM Dar, highlighted Pakistan’s active New Year diplomacy with its key Gulf partners and signalled Islamabad’s desire to keep Saudi Arabia and the UAE closely engaged on regional and economic matters.
Focus on trade, investment and expatriate communities
During his conversation with the UAE leadership, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to deepen strategic and economic cooperation with the Emirates. He highlighted opportunities to boost bilateral trade and expand collaboration in key sectors such as information technology, energy, mining and defence.
The prime minister also praised the UAE’s role as host to more than 2.1 million Pakistani expatriates. He noted that these workers form a vital bridge between the two countries, supporting both the UAE’s economy and Pakistan’s foreign exchange earnings through remittances.
For Pakistan, securing fresh investment and project partnerships with Gulf countries is a central part of its economic recovery strategy. Engagements with Saudi Arabia and the UAE are therefore framed not only as diplomatic events but also as steps toward job creation, infrastructure development and technological cooperation at home.
Gulf diplomacy and regional stability
Taken together, Ishaq Dar’s call with the Saudi foreign minister and Shehbaz Sharif’s meeting with the UAE president underline Pakistan’s efforts to keep close alignment with its Gulf partners at the start of the new year.
Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE are central players in the wider Middle East and Gulf region. By maintaining regular high-level contact, Pakistan aims to coordinate positions on regional security, economic corridors, investment flows and support for peace efforts.
As 2026 begins, Islamabad’s outreach to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi signals that Pakistan sees its relationships with these countries as critical pillars of its foreign policy and economic strategy, with an emphasis on stability, shared growth and long-term partnership.
