In a major development, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday reaffirmed commitment to further strengthening bilateral ties, especially in the areas of trade and investment, culture, innovation and technology.
The resolve was expressed during a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of the eighth edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Conference in Riyadh.
The two leaders took stock of the ongoing bilateral engagements, especially in follow up to the decisions taken in previous high-level meetings held in Makkah and Riyadh in April, read a statement issued by the PM Office Media Wing.
Apprising the crown prince on his government's economic, institutional and policy reforms agenda, the prime minster said that the Kingdom had a central role in Pakistan’ future economic plans.
The prime minister appreciated Saudi Arabia's efforts to promote regional peace and stability in the Middle East and reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to standby the country in these efforts.
The two leaders exchanged views on regional developments and agreed to closely coordinate positions on regional issues.
The prime minister conveyed best wishes for the health and wellbeing of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.
Separately, on X handle, the prime minister posted that he had the honour of meeting Mohammed Bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia along with his delegation.
"Conveyed my deep gratitude for the kingdom’s valuable support to Pakistan in securing the IMF (International Monetary Fund) program."
The premier said that Pakistan’s ties with the kingdom are historical and time-tested.
“Thanked him for his gracious hospitality. Pakistan’s ties with Saudi Arabia are historical and time-tested. During our very productive talks we reviewed the progress in Pakistan-KSA relations across multiple sectors and reaffirmed our commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, particularly in areas such as trade and investment , culture, innovation, technology, and beyond,” he further posted.
It is pertinent to mention here that PM Shehbaz Sharif is currently in the Kingdom to attend the eighth edition of two-day Future Investment Initiative (FII) being held in Riyadh.
Attended by global leaders, this year’s FII is themed “Infinite Horizons: Investing Today, Shaping Tomorrow” and focuses on global investments aimed at addressing major issues such as artificial intelligence, robotics, education, energy, space, finance, healthcare, and sustainability.
The participating countries engage in the dialogue for the promotion of investment and a sustainable future while highlighting the strength of their respective economies.
The FII conference featured discussions on artificial intelligence, robotics, education, energy, space, public health, and challenges confronting sustainable development.
During the plenary session, PM Shehbaz invited global companies to invest in Pakistan and bring their expertise and creativity as “we build a future rooted in resilience and shared prosperity.”
“Pakistan stands ready to join those who dare to dream big,” he said, noting that no nation could overcome today’s challenges alone and no single country could harness the potential of tomorrow without the support of others.
While underscoring the importance of knowledge-based economy driven by innovation in domains of artificial intelligence, education and health, the premier called for collective global efforts and partnerships to overcome the contemporary challenges.
He said that he was elated to share that Pakistan, too, was on a transformative journey; a journey of resilience, sacrifice, and a relentless pursuit of stability and growth.
The prime minister, citing future course, said Pakistan was laying the foundation for a knowledge-based economy driven by innovation in three pivotal domains, artificial intelligence, education, and health in which they looked forward to forging useful partnerships.
“AI is more than a trend; it’s a force revolutionising economies, societies, and industries. At this critical juncture, Pakistan is not just embracing AI, we are committed to excelling in it,” he said, adding their mission was clear and it was to; encourage young minds to redefine the boundaries of AI; training skilled engineers and data scientists as the backbone of Pakistan’s AI growth; and equipping their workforce to harness the power of AI across industries.
PM Shehbaz further said that health was the cornerstone of human advancement and Pakistan’s healthcare sector was home to over 275,000 registered doctors with their youth pioneering new health-tech solutions.
With advancements in healthcare standards, they envisioned a future where their doctors and scientists collaborated across borders for a healthier tomorrow, he added.
“Imagine the impact, pooling resources in areas like genome sequencing and personalised medicine. With such collaborations, we can redefine the whole healthcare system,” he further emphasised.
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