Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Departs for Saudi Arabia Amid Regional Tensions

Kathmandu. Amidst regional tensions, Pakistan is increasing its diplomatic activity, playing a role in US-Iran peace efforts while simultaneously strengthening economic and strategic ties with its key partners. In this context, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed for an official visit to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

The Prime Minister's office stated that Sharif is scheduled to depart from Islamabad to Jeddah with a high-level delegation. The visit is expected to strengthen bilateral relations and facilitate high-level discussions on the regional situation.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have traditionally maintained close ties. Since the regional conflict began in February, Saudi Arabia has been a key US ally facing risks of attacks from Iran. In this situation, coordination between Islamabad and Riyadh is considered even more critical.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has pledged further support to strengthen Pakistan's dwindling foreign exchange reserves. According to Pakistan's Ministry of Finance, Saudi Arabia has announced an additional deposit of 3 billion US dollars, which is expected to be disbursed within the coming week.

Finance and Revenue Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb stated that this assistance would make a significant contribution to strengthening the country's foreign exchange reserves. He is currently in Washington for the International Monetary Fund's annual spring meetings. According to him, Saudi Arabia has also decided to extend the 5 billion dollar deposit previously provided for an indefinite period.

This support comes at a time when Pakistan had indicated it was repaying billions of dollars in loans taken from Saudi Arabia's regional rival, the United Arab Emirates. This signals Pakistan's efforts to balance its economic management and external dependencies.