Prime Minister to meet PM Shehbaz and discuss ‘entire spectrum of bilateral relations’ with focus on minerals
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met UAE President and Abu Dhabi Ruler Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on June 12. Photo: APP/File
President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates landed in Islamabad on Friday for his first official visit to Pakistan since taking office.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir received the Emirati leader at Nur Khan air base, where Pakistani military aircraft escorted his plane as it entered the country’s airspace and performed an aerial salute, according to the UAE’s official news agency WAM.
An official welcome ceremony was held at the air base, featuring the playing of both national anthems, a 21-gun salute and a presentation of the honor guard for the visiting dignitary.
The reception was also attended by federal ministers including Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal and Attaullah Tarar. Shehbaz introduced the cabinet members to the UAE President during the ceremony.
This is President Nahyan’s second trip to Pakistan this year, following an earlier meeting with Shehbaz in Rahim Yar Khan in January. The president is traveling with a high-level delegation that includes presidential advisors Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, UAE ambassador to Pakistan Salem Mohammed Al Zaabi, and several ministers and senior government officials.
During the visit, President Nahyan is scheduled to meet Shehbaz and discuss “the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest”, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. The leaders will discuss above all cooperation in the field of minerals.
The FO said the visit offers a significant opportunity to further deepen the long-standing brotherly relationship between the two nations.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz welcomed the UAE President’s visit and said Pakistan-UAE relations are “timeless and exemplary”. He expressed pride that the UAE President had chosen Pakistan for his first official visit.
Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates maintain diplomatic, economic and cultural connections, reinforced by historical ties and a significant Pakistani diaspora in the Emirates. The UAE is among Pakistan’s largest trading partners and serves as a vital source of remittances, with a large Pakistani workforce employed in various sectors in the Gulf state.
Read: Shehbaz urges UAE to invest in key sectors
Earlier this week, Shehbaz expressed Pakistan’s interest in attracting greater investment from the UAE in sectors such as energy, minerals, information technology, railways and aviation during talks with UAE Ambassador Zaabi.
President Nahyan will reportedly hunt in Rahim Yar Khan. This is a common practice among Middle Eastern royal families, who visit Pakistan in the winter season to hunt animals, particularly houbara bustards. It should be noted that hunting for this bird is illegal.
On Friday, the Islamabad district administration declared a local holiday in the capital to accommodate the visit, although essential services, including hospitals, law enforcement, municipal operations and public service providers, will continue normal operations.
Islamabad Police announced traffic diversions on Expressway and Murree Road/Club Road from 11am to 3pm due to the visit. Commuters traveling on the highway from Rawat were advised to use the Rawalpindi-Peshawar highway, while those on IJP Road and Srinagar Highway were told to use the service roads in the city centre.
Read more: Pakistan and UAE sign multiple agreements to boost bilateral relations
Police also recommended allowing an additional 20 to 25 minutes for travel and deployed traffic officers throughout the city to assist citizens.
In April, the two nations signed several memorandums of understanding covering cultural cooperation, coordination of consular affairs and the establishment of a UAE-Pakistan Joint Business Council linking their respective chambers of commerce.
