Brussels/Islamabad, (Unib Rashid) – Saudi Arabia’s Minister for Environment, Water and Agriculture, Engineer Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadley, called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad on Thursday.

Welcoming the Saudi minister, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed the deep-rooted and fraternal ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and conveyed his warm regards to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The Prime Minister said the recently signed Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye had brought the three countries even closer and conveyed a strong message of unity and peace across the region.

He emphasised that, as strategic partners, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia should now focus on further strengthening economic and agricultural cooperation to transform their longstanding relationship into a stronger and mutually beneficial trade and investment partnership.

The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the growing cooperation between the two countries, particularly regarding the export of Pakistani agricultural products to Saudi Arabia. The two sides also discussed measures to enhance agricultural productivity in Pakistan through modern technology, research and development, and more efficient utilisation of water resources.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that a delegation of Pakistani agricultural experts would soon visit Riyadh to advance the discussions and explore ways to realise the full potential of bilateral cooperation in the agriculture sector.

The Saudi minister thanked the Prime Minister for the warm hospitality extended to him and his delegation and reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to further expanding cooperation with Pakistan in the fields of agriculture, water management and food security.

The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers Rana Tanveer Hussain, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Atta Tarar, Jam Kamal Khan, Musadik Malik and Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, along with Dr. Syed Tauqir Shah, Bilal Azhar Kiyani, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi and other senior government officials.