Pakistan’s premier arrives in Saudi Arabia for talks on regional developments

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday for a three-day visit focused on bilateral cooperation and regional developments.

Saudi Arabia’s official SPA news agency said Sharif was received at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah by Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz, deputy governor of the Makkah region.

Pakistan’s state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said Sharif was accompanied by Field Marshal and Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and other senior officials.

According to APP, Sharif is scheduled to hold talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation, as well as regional and international developments.

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan maintain close defense ties under a mutual defense agreement signed amid regional tensions.

The visit comes as Islamabad continues its mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran.

In June, Qatar joined Pakistan in mediating between the US and Iran, leading to the signing of a memorandum of understanding on June 18 and the launch of negotiations toward a final agreement.

The negotiations later stalled over disagreements related to maritime security and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, although officials from Iran, Oman and the US have recently signaled progress toward resolving the remaining issues.