PM Imran Khan lands in Saudi Arabia on three-day visit

By
Ayaz Akbar Yousafzai
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Web Desk
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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz (centre right) receives Prime Minister Imran Khan (centre left) at Jeddah International Airport, Saudi Arabia on May 7, 2021. — Twitter/PakPMO
  • Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry, other officials are accompanying PM Imran Khan.
  • Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz has invited the premier.
  • The prime minister has arrived in Jeddah.


Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday landed in Saudi Arabia on an important three-day visit. The PM is visiting the Kingdom upon the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shah Farman, and Food Minister Punjab Abdul Aleem Khan accompanied the premier.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz received the premier at the Jeddah airport, said SAPM on Political Affairs Dr Shahbaz Gill on the microblogging website.

Sharing the details of the visit earlier, Gill had said the premier's engagements would include meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and meetings of delegations from both sides.

“Tomorrow he will pay respect to the roza of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and will perform Umrah in Makkah on Sunday.”

The Foreign Office, in a statement, said that the Pak-Saudi relationship is marked by close cooperation in all fields and mutual collaboration on regional and international issues, in particular those faced by the Muslim Ummah.

“Saudi Arabia is a member of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir,” it said while announcing the visit.

The prime minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including the foreign minister and other members of the cabinet.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has already reached Saudi Arabia and has been holding meetings with top military officials, but it is unclear whether they will together attend some of the meetings while in Saudi Arabia.

The prime minister will be holding consultations with the Saudi leadership on all areas of bilateral cooperation including economic, trade, investment, energy, job opportunities for the Pakistani workforce, and welfare of the Pakistani diaspora in the Kingdom.

“The two sides will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. A number of bilateral agreements/MoUs are expected to be signed during the visit,” added the Foreign Office.

While it did not list which agreements/MoUs are expected to be signed, according to the Arab News both countries will sign a landmark climate deal during the visit.