Willing to discuss bilateral relations and exchange opinions on regional and international issues.
Additional Secretary for the Middle East Zahid Hussain receives Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah upon his arrival in Islamabad on Tuesday. Photo: FO
Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday on a two-day official visit for bilateral talks.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, Sheikh Jarrah arrived in Islamabad at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar.
Upon arrival at Islamabad International Airport, the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister was received by Zahid Hussain, Additional Secretary for the Middle East at the Ministry of External Affairs.
“During the visit, the two sides will hold talks covering the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest,” the statement said.
HE Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait, arrived in Islamabad today on an official visit at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50.
Upon arriving in Islamabad… pic.twitter.com/7sOY6qtx22
– Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 28, 2026
The Foreign Ministry said the visit reflected the long-standing brotherly relations between Pakistan and Kuwait, anchored in shared history, mutual trust and close cooperation.
The visit comes as Pakistan is negotiating an expanded defense pact with Kuwait in exchange for energy cooperation and investment.
However, the talks are still at an early stage and could still be complicated by rising tensions between the United States and Iran, according to five sources familiar with the discussions.
Kuwait has had a limited defense deal with Pakistan covering joint training and exercises since 2023. It is now seeking a broader deal similar to Pakistan’s defense pact with Saudi Arabia, including “thousands of Pakistani ground troops, fighter jets, drones, an air defense system and other defense-related facilities,” a Pakistani government official said.
It is unclear whether Pakistan is willing to go that far, given that its deal with Saudi Arabia was the result of a decades-long close alliance with Riyadh.
Notably, the visit comes at a critical time as Iran’s new attacks on Kuwait and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have increased regional tensions.
Earlier, Kuwait came under sustained attack, with the military saying they had intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, and that several firefighters and oil workers had been injured while responding to the attacks.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had attacked a US military support center in Kuwait’s Camp Arifjan and destroyed a radar installation at Ali Al Salem Air Base. Kuwait Petroleum Corporation later said that one of its oil facilities had been hit by “repeated Iranian attacks,” causing significant damage and some injuries, according to the state news agency.
