Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Finance Minister <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pm-finance-minister-highlight-pakistans-reform-push-at-wef-davos" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Muhammad Aurangzeb</a> held high-level meetings with Saudi and World Bank officials on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference 2026, focusing on investment follow-ups, technology cooperation and long-term development support.&nbsp;According to a finance ministry statement, Aurangzeb met Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal bin Fadhil Alibrahim to review progress on Saudi investment commitments in Pakistan and broader bilateral economic cooperation. The AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies will be held on February 8&ndash;9, 2026, at Maraya Hall in AlUla.&nbsp;The annual forum is organized by Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s finance ministry in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund&rsquo;s regional office in Riyadh, and brings together finance ministers, central bank governors, policymakers and international institutions from emerging economies.&nbsp;The engagements come as Pakistan seeks to deepen economic partnerships with key regional and multilateral partners, using the AlUla Conference as a platform to advance investment, trade and development priorities.&nbsp;During the meeting, the Saudi minister praised Pakistan&rsquo;s growing technology sector. He &ldquo;highly appreciated the quality of artificial intelligence and technology talent being produced by Pakistan,&rdquo; noting that it ranks &ldquo;among the top one or two globally,&rdquo; the statement said.&nbsp;Alibrahim also expressed Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s &ldquo;keen interest in leveraging Pakistani tech professionals&rdquo; to support the Kingdom&rsquo;s ongoing technological transformation.&nbsp;Aurangzeb said Pakistan is working to formalize overseas employment pathways, sharing that the country is creating &ldquo;a structured pipeline of skilled human resources for key international markets, including Saudi Arabia,&rdquo; aimed at generating &ldquo;mutual economic benefits.&rdquo;&nbsp;The two sides also discussed progress on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Free Trade Agreement, with emphasis on boosting trade and economic exchanges.&nbsp;Aurangzeb assured that &ldquo;dedicated Pakistani teams are actively leading the process to finalize Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s investment commitments in Pakistan,&rdquo; and thanked the Saudi government for hosting what he described as a &ldquo;strategically significant conference.&rdquo;&nbsp;Separately, the finance minister met World Bank Group Managing Director Anna Bjerde to review Pakistan&rsquo;s reform and development agenda.&nbsp;According to the finance ministry, the meeting assessed progress under Pakistan&rsquo;s Country Partnership Framework and followed up on the recent visit of the World Bank president to Pakistan.&nbsp;Discussions covered priority sectors including energy, education, health, climate resilience, infrastructure, fiscal reforms and debt-for-development swaps.&nbsp;Both sides stressed the need for &ldquo;a more focused approach, clear performance trackers, and robust implementation&rdquo; to ensure measurable outcomes.

Foreign Affairs

Economy

Pakistan’s finance minister meets Saudi and World Bank officials at AlUla Conference, advancing investment, technology cooperation and development support, while reaffirming commitments to trade, reforms and long-term economic partnerships.

At AlUla Conference, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia advance investment and tech cooperation

Web Desk/AFP

ISLAMABAD: The United States on Friday approved a sale of $9 billion in Patriot defense missiles for Saudi Arabia, at a point of high tensions with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-says-iran-wants-to-make-a-deal" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Iran</a>, AFP reported.&nbsp; The kingdom, a longtime US partner, plans to buy 730 Patriot missiles from the United States, the State Department said. The missiles are used to defend against incoming attacks. Growing pressure &nbsp;Iran has faced growing pressure after major protests against the government. Saudi Arabia has voiced caution about an <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/saudi-qatar-oman-convinced-trump-to-give-iran-a-chance-senior-saudi-official" style="color:#0073e6;">attack on Iran</a>. Condemnation of Israeli aggression&nbsp;In June last year, according to a&nbsp;state-run Saudi Press Agency&#39;s report,&nbsp;the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation of the &ldquo;blatant Israeli aggressions&rdquo; against Iran, which it said undermined its sovereignty and security and constituted a clear violation of international laws and norms. &ldquo;While the Kingdom condemns these heinous attacks, it affirms that the international community and the Security Council bear a great responsibility to immediately halt this aggression,&rdquo; the report had said.

Middle East

State Department says the kingdom, a longtime US partner, plans to buy 730 Patriot missiles from the United States.

US approves $9 billion in Patriot missile defense for Saudi Arabia

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to deepen cooperation in the energy and minerals sectors, underscoring their commitment to strengthening bilateral economic and strategic ties.&nbsp;Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik held a meeting with Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Maliki, during which both sides reviewed existing collaboration and discussed new areas for partnership.&nbsp;&ldquo;During the meeting, both sides reviewed ongoing collaboration and explored new avenues for cooperation, particularly in the energy and minerals sectors,&rdquo; the information ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;Malik said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had &ldquo;vast potential&rdquo; to expand cooperation in energy and mineral development, emphasizing the importance of sustained engagement between the two countries.&nbsp;&ldquo;Both sides agreed to maintain close coordination to further strengthen economic and strategic cooperation in the coming period,&rdquo; the statement added.&nbsp;The Saudi ambassador praised Pakistan&rsquo;s participation in the Future Minerals Forum held in Riyadh and stressed the value of continued dialogue to advance joint efforts in the minerals sector.&nbsp;Malik congratulated the Kingdom on the successful organization of the forum, noting that it &ldquo;offers significant opportunities for regional collaboration,&rdquo; according to the statement.&nbsp;Expressing confidence in the longstanding partnership between the two countries, Malik said the strong Pakistan-Saudi Arabia friendship was expected to yield tangible outcomes, including increased investment, technology sharing and development projects benefiting both sides.

Pakistan’s petroleum minister meets the Saudi ambassador, reviews ongoing collaboration, explores new investment avenues, and stresses close coordination to deepen economic and strategic ties between the two countries.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia agree to enhance cooperation in energy and minerals

Pakistan TV Satellite

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Defence Production Raza Hayat Harraj has said that if a trilateral defense cooperation agreement among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye is proposed in the future, Pakistan would welcome it. Talking exclusively in Pakistan TV&rsquo;s programme The Newsroom, the minister said Pakistan enjoys very strong diplomatic and defense relations with both Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, describing them as close allies and reliable friends of the country.&nbsp; &ldquo;An agreement has already been concluded between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. It is a bilateral agreement. If tomorrow, Turkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia come up with a proposal, it will be a very welcoming statement as far as Pakistan is concerned,&rdquo; the minister said, adding that at present there is no trilateral agreement involving the three countries. The Saudi-Pakistan defense agreement was signed between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in Riyadh in September last year, which was described as a &ldquo;strategic mutual defense agreement.&rdquo;&nbsp; The agreement aims to development aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression. Harraj said Pakistan maintains close defence cooperation with Turkiye, particularly in defence industrial development, and has a similar association with Saudi Arabia. Azerbaijan is also a close partner of Pakistan in terms of defense cooperation, he added. The minister said while a trilateral framework could be a future prospect, any such arrangement would only be considered if and when a formal proposal is presented.&nbsp; &ldquo;We would be willing to deliberate once an opportunity arises,&rdquo; he said, adding that if such an agreement comes forward, it will be left for the relevant stakeholders to scrutinize it. Harraj emphasised that defense-related agreements are considered trade secrets and often involve classified information that cannot be disclosed publicly.&nbsp; Explaining the nature of defense cooperation, the minister said such collaborations can take various forms, including joint exercises, shared production of defense equipment, or joint manufacturing of components.&nbsp; He cited the JF-17 fighter jet programme as an example of successful defense collaboration between Pakistan and China. Reiterating Pakistan&rsquo;s position, Harraj said bilateral defense agreements with Turkiye and Saudi Arabia are independent of each other.

The Newsroom

Federal Minister for Defense Production Raza Hayat Harraj has said that if a trilateral defense cooperation agreement among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye is proposed in the future, Pakistan would welcome it.

Pakistan open to trilateral defense deal with Saudi Arabia, Turkiye in future: Harraj

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday held virtual consultations with his counterparts from T&uuml;rkiye, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), focusing on regional developments and underscoring the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in easing tensions, the Foreign Office said.&nbsp;The consultations took place while Dar is on an official visit to Beijing, where he is co-chairing the 7th Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers&rsquo; Strategic Dialogue with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to an earlier Foreign Office statement.&nbsp;During his separate conversations with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Dar discussed the evolving regional situation, the statement said.&nbsp;The foreign minister welcomed the Saudi position on Yemen and &ldquo;appreciated the efforts of all sides to resolve&rdquo; regional issues through peaceful means, the Foreign Office added.&nbsp;In a separate interaction with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Dar exchanged views on the broader regional environment and expressed satisfaction over what the statement described as a &ldquo;positive trajectory&rdquo; and recent improvements in the situation.&nbsp;&ldquo;DPM/FM Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar appreciated that dialogue and diplomacy have resulted in tangible outcomes on the ground,&rdquo; the Foreign Office said, adding that Pakistan continues to support peaceful engagement and cooperative approaches to regional challenges.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar holds virtual talks with counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and UAE, discussing regional developments and praising dialogue and diplomacy for easing tensions

Pakistani FM consults Muslim-majority counterparts on regional stability, diplomacy

RIYADH: A Saudi-led coalition said it targeted Tuesday a large quantity of weapons and combat vehicles destined for separatist forces that were being offloaded from ships at a port in Yemen, coming from the UAE.&nbsp;Yemen has been fighting a crippling war, as armed factions loosely grouped under the government and backed by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia turn on each other.&nbsp;The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), which seeks to revive the formerly independent state of South Yemen, has in recent weeks swept through swathes of the country, expelling other government forces and their allies.&nbsp;The Saudi-led coalition warned on Saturday that it would back Yemen&#39;s government in any military confrontation with separatist forces and has urged them to withdraw &quot;peacefully&quot; from recently-seized provinces.&nbsp;&quot;At 4:00 am, we received a call to evacuate the port of al-Mukalla a quarter of an hour before the strike,&quot; an official at the Yemeni port told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.&nbsp;&quot;The evacuation completed, and the strike occurred a quarter of an hour later in a dirt area within the port. The fire is still burning,&quot; he said.&nbsp;The coalition targeted two ships carrying &quot;a large quantity of weapons and combat vehicles to support the Southern Transitional Council forces&quot;, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported.&nbsp;&quot;Given the danger and escalation posed by these weapons... the Coalition air forces carried out a limited military operation this morning targeting weapons and combat vehicles that had been unloaded from the two ships at the port of al-Mukalla,&quot; it said.&nbsp;The ships had arrived from the port of Fujairah, on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates, the SPA said, adding that the operation was conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law and that no collateral damage occurred.&nbsp;Aerial footage showing docked boats and a large number of vehicles driving through the port was shared by the SPA.&nbsp;&#39;Sensitive moment&#39;The attack came days after reported Saudi air strikes on separatist positions in Yemen&#39;s Hadramawt province -- and after Washington called for restraint in the rapidly escalating conflict.&nbsp;US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: &quot;We urge restraint and continued diplomacy, with a view to reaching a lasting solution.&quot;&nbsp;Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman posted Saturday on X that troops from the separatist STC should &quot;peacefully hand over&quot; two regional governorates to the government.&nbsp;&quot;It&#39;s time,&quot; he posted, &quot;at this sensitive moment, to let reason prevail by withdrawing from the two provinces and doing so peacefully.&quot;&nbsp;But the STC had warned on Friday they were undeterred after strikes blamed on Saudi Arabia hit their positions, following their seizure of large swathes of territory in the Hadramawt and Mahrah provinces.&nbsp;Since the takeover, supporters of the separatists have been gathering regularly in cities including Aden to demand they declare independence, with the largest rallies taking place every Friday.&nbsp;On Saturday, hundreds of Yemeni tribesmen gathered in Aden to ask the STC&#39;s leaders to announce the independence of South Yemen, according to the separatist-affiliated Aden Independent Channel.&nbsp;The channel aired footage of a large crowd marching and waving the South Yemen independence flag alongside the UAE&#39;s flag.&nbsp;A Yemeni military official said on Friday that around 15,000 Saudi-backed fighters were massed near the Saudi border but had not been given orders to advance on separatist-held territory.&nbsp;The areas where they were deployed are at the edges of territory seized in recent weeks by the UAE-backed STC.&nbsp;The government is a patchwork of groups that includes the separatists, and is held together by shared opposition to the Iran-backed Houthis.&nbsp;The Houthis pushed the government out of Yemen&#39;s capital Sanaa in 2014 and secured control over most of the north.

Saudi state news agency says two ships arrived from the port of “Fujairah entered the port of Mukalla on Saturday and Sunday, without obtaining official permits from the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition."

Saudi-led coalition targets arms shipments from UAE in Yemen

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia, the main backer of Yemen&#39;s internationally recognized government, said Thursday that Yemeni separatists should return territory seized recently, adding that it seeks to de-escalate tensions within the government camp. The separatist Southern Transitional Council is part of Yemen&#39;s internationally recognised government, a patchwork of groups held together by their opposition to the Iran-backed Houthis,&nbsp; which rule much of the country&#39;s north. This month, the UAE-backed STC, which seeks to revive the formerly independent state of South Yemen, swept through swathes of the country, expelling other government forces and their allies in a move that sparked fears of secession and further instability. &quot;The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia points out that the military movements in the governorates of (Hadramawt and Al-Mahra), recently conducted by the Southern Transitional Council, were carried out unilaterally, and without the approval of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) nor in coordination with the Coalition&#39;s leadership,&quot; the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement. &quot;These movements resulted in an unjustified escalation that harmed the interests of the Yemeni people with all of its segments,&quot; it added. &quot;The Kingdom remains hopeful that the public interest will prevail through ending the escalation by the Southern Transitional Council and the withdrawal of its forces from the two governorate in an urgent and orderly manner,&quot; it added. A Saudi-Emirati military delegation visited Aden for talks earlier this month to ask the STC to return the two provinces it recently seized, the statement said, adding that Saudi efforts for de-escalation were ongoing. A source close to the STC had told AFP at the time that the delegation asked them to withdraw from the newly-seized territory but that the group refused. Yemen&#39;s government and the eight-member PLC that heads it are split between figures backed by the kingdom, and the separatists and their allies, who are backed by the United Arab Emirates. The 11-year war in Yemen has pitted the Iran-backed rebels against the internationally-recognised government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition that includes the UAE.

Tensions rise between rival factions in Yemen's anti-Houthi coalition as Saudi Arabia pushes back against UAE-supported separatists [File: AFP]

Saudi Arabia, the main backer of Yemen's internationally recognized government, said Thursday that Yemeni separatists should return territory seized recently, adding that it seeks to de-escalate tensions within the government camp.

Saudi Arabia urges Yemen separatists to cede seized territory

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to launch several strategic and high-impact projects under a new Economic Cooperation Framework aimed at strengthening trade and investment relations. The framework was announced in a joint statement after talks between Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Tuesday. According to the statement from the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office, the framework covers economic, trade, investment, and development projects. These projects are designed to improve cooperation between the governments, increase private sector involvement, and expand bilateral trade. Priority sectors under the framework include energy, industry, mining, information technology, tourism, agriculture, and food security. The two countries are studying several joint projects, including a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for an electricity interconnection project. It also includes an MoU for cooperation in the energy sector. The statement said the framework extends both nations&#39; efforts to strengthen fraternal ties. They aim to build a sustainable partnership that meets the goals of their leadership and the citizens. The two leaders also look forward to holding a meeting of the Saudi-Pakistani Supreme Coordination Council to advance cooperation further.

As part of an Economic Cooperation Framework, several projects will be discussed in the economic, trade, investment, and development fields that will contribute to strengthening cooperation between the two governments. 

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia to launch strategic, high-impact projects 

JERUSALEM: Israel&rsquo;s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Thursday apologized for what he called his &ldquo;unfortunate&rdquo; remarks about Saudi Arabia, after facing backlash for making disparaging comments toward the Kingdom.&nbsp;Speaking at a conference earlier in the day, Smotrich had rejected the idea of Saudi Arabia linking normalization with Israel to the creation of an independent Palestinian state.&nbsp;&ldquo;If Saudi Arabia tells us normalization in exchange for a Palestinian state, friends, no thank you,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Keep riding camels on the sand in the Saudi desert; we&rsquo;ll keep developing our economy, our society, and our state.&rdquo;&nbsp;The comments sparked swift criticism at home, with opposition figures accusing Smotrich of damaging Israel&rsquo;s international standing.&nbsp;In a video statement posted on X, Smotrich expressed regret, calling his earlier remarks &ldquo;unfortunate.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;I regret any offense they may have caused,&rdquo; he said, adding that he also expects others &ldquo;not to offend the State of Israel.&rdquo;&nbsp;Smotrich, who lives in a West Bank settlement, is a strong advocate for annexing Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967.&nbsp;Opposition leader Yair Lapid denounced the comments, posting in Arabic on X:&nbsp;&ldquo;To our friends in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. Smotrich does not represent the State of Israel.&rdquo;Lapid later urged the minister to issue a formal apology.&nbsp;Former defense minister Benny Gantz also criticized Smotrich, saying his comments &ldquo;reflect ignorance and a lack of understanding of his responsibilities as a senior minister.&rdquo;&nbsp;Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s normalization talks with Israel have been on hold since Hamas&rsquo;s October 2023 attack on southern Israel, which triggered the ongoing Gaza war.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich apologizes for “unfortunate” remarks telling Saudis to “keep riding camels” amid normalization talks. His comments draw condemnation from Israeli opposition leaders, as Saudi-Israel ties remain frozen since the Gaza war.

Israeli minister apologizes for ‘inappropriate’ remarks about Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia condemned on Wednesday a visit by Israel&#39;s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir to the Al-Aqsa compound, a disputed area in occupied east Jerusalem home to Islam&#39;s third-holiest site that is also Judaism&#39;s holiest place. Riyadh voiced its &quot;condemnation of the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound by Israeli officials and settlers under the protection of the occupation forces, reiterating its strongest condemnation of the continued attacks on the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque,&quot; the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia strongly condemned Israeli minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s visit to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa compound, calling it a provocative “storming” under military protection and denouncing repeated Israeli violations against the sanctity of Islam’s third-holiest site.

Articles tagged with "Saudi Arabia"