Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Friday moved to deepen economic cooperation as both sides finalised a series of investment agreements spanning infrastructure, ports, motorways, real estate and minerals development during a two-day meeting of the Pakistan-Saudi Joint Business Council, officials said.
The agreements, signed during a two-day Pakistan-Saudi business engagement hosted under the facilitation of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and the Joint Business Council, are being viewed as part of broader efforts to accelerate Saudi investment inflows into Pakistan and strengthen business-to-business (B2B) partnerships.
According to officials, understandings were reached for cooperation in ports development and motorway infrastructure, including an agreement relating to the construction of the Hyderabad-Karachi Motorway, a long-delayed strategic connectivity project aimed at improving logistics and trade flows.
Additional agreements were also finalised in the areas of real estate development and the minerals sector, reflecting growing Saudi interest in Pakistan’s resource base and infrastructure opportunities.
The agreements were signed in the presence of former caretaker federal minister Gohar Ejaz, while the Saudi side was represented by Prince Mansour bin Mohammad Al Saud, who signed the agreements on behalf of the Saudi delegation, officials added.
The business forum was jointly chaired by former caretaker minister Gohar Ejaz and Chairman Pakistan-Saudi Joint Business Council Fawad Mukhtar, while the Saudi delegation was led by Chairman Pakistan-Saudi Business Council Prince Mansour bin Al Saud.
Federal Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik, Minister of State Ali Pervaiz Malik and Adviser on Privatisation Muhammad Ali also participated in the sessions alongside senior government officials and business leaders.
Officials said Saudi investors were briefed on multiple joint investment opportunities across key sectors, including energy, infrastructure, mining and industrial development. Separate B2B meetings were held between Pakistani and Saudi companies to explore partnerships, while government-level meetings were also conducted to facilitate future investment frameworks.
During sectoral presentations, Saudi investors were invited to participate in Pakistan’s power sector projects, including transmission lines and smart metering initiatives, as authorities highlighted opportunities linked to energy sector reforms and efficiency enhancement.
Investors were also briefed on opportunities in petroleum, mining and minerals development, sectors that Islamabad considers central to attracting long-term foreign direct investment.
Speaking on the occasion, Gohar Ejaz said Saudi investors were showing increasing interest in Pakistan’s economy and investment landscape.
“Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are actively promoting bilateral investment and economic cooperation,” he said, adding that Saudi investment remained critically important for Pakistan’s economic growth trajectory.
He maintained that Pakistan offered attractive returns for foreign investors and noted that the government was extending special facilitation measures and incentives to overseas investors.
“Pakistan can emerge not only as a strong defence power but also as a strong economic power,” he said.
The latest agreements come as Pakistan seeks to convert recent diplomatic engagements with Gulf partners into concrete investment commitments, particularly in strategic sectors such as infrastructure, energy, mining and logistics, amid efforts to support economic stabilisation and boost foreign direct investment inflows.
