Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif receives a guard of honor at Al-Qudaibiya Palace in Manama on November 26, 2025. Photo: Saba
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa agreed to increase bilateral trade between Pakistan and Bahrain to one billion US dollars within three years, setting one of the strongest economic goals between the two countries in recent years.
The commitment was made during a meeting at Qasr Al-Qudaibiya in Manama, where both leaders placed economic cooperation at the center of their discussions. Current trade between the two nations amounts to more than $550 million, with both sides expressing their willingness to accelerate growth through the near-completed Pakistan-GCC Free Trade Agreement and recent visa relaxations aimed at improving business mobility.
Prime Minister Shehbaz invited Bahraini investors to explore opportunities in food security, IT, construction, mining and minerals, renewable energy, healthcare and tourism. He also proposed improving port-to-port connectivity between Karachi or Gwadar and Khalifa bin Salman port to facilitate smoother trade flows. The two leaders reviewed defense and security ties and agreed to expand cooperation in training, cybersecurity, defense production and information sharing.
The prime minister thanked Bahrain for its long-standing support to the Pakistani community of more than 150,000 people and reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to supplying more skilled workers. He also acknowledged Bahrain’s assistance in building King Hamad University in Islamabad and facilitating the release and repatriation of Pakistani citizens.
Both sides also exchanged views on developments in Gaza, expressing hope that recent steps towards stability would bring long-awaited relief to its people. The meeting concluded with optimism that renewed dialogue would deliver tangible progress in strategic, economic, security and people-to-people ties.
