Premier to meet PM Shehbaz, discuss ‘full gamut of bilateral relations’ focusing on minerals
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will meet with the President of the United Arab Emirates, the Ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on 12 June. 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 accession.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief of staff General Asim Munir received the Emirati leader at Nur Khan Airbase, where Pakistani military aircraft escorted his plane as it entered the country’s airspace and gave an aerial salute, according to the UAE’s official news agency WAM.
An official welcoming ceremony was held at the airbase, with the playing of both national anthems, a 21-gun salute and a guard of honor presentation for the visiting dignitary.
Federal ministers including Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal and Attaullah Tarar were also present at the reception. Shehbaz introduced cabinet members to the UAE president during the ceremony.
This marks President Nahyan’s second trip to Pakistan this year after an earlier meeting with Shehbaz in Rahim Yar Khan in January. The President is traveling with a high-level delegation that includes Presidential Advisers 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 full range of bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues of common interest,” according to the Foreign Ministry. The leaders will specifically discuss cooperation on minerals.
The FO said the visit provides 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.” She expressed pride that the UAE President chose Pakistan for his first official visit.
Pakistan and the UAE maintain diplomatic, economic and cultural relations, enhanced 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 across various sectors in the Gulf state.
Read: Shehbaz encourages the UAE to invest in key sectors
Earlier this week, Shehbaz expressed Pakistan’s interest in attracting greater UAE investment in sectors such as energy, minerals, information technology, railways and aviation during discussions with UAE Ambassador Zaabi.
President Nahyan will reportedly hunt in Rahim Yar Khan. This is a practice common among Middle Eastern royal families who visit Pakistan during the winter season to hunt animals, especially Houbara bustards. In particular, hunting 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 utilities must continue normal operations.
Islamabad Police announced traffic diversions on the Expressway and Murree Road/Club Road from 11 am to 3 pm due to the visit. Commuters traveling on the expressway from Rawat were advised to use Rawalpindi-Peshawar Road instead, while those on IJP Road and Srinagar Highway were directed to use inner city service roads.
Read more: Pakistan, UAE sign several agreements to strengthen bilateral ties
Police also recommended allowing an extra 20 to 25 minutes for the journey and deployed traffic officers across the city to assist citizens.
In April, the two nations signed several memoranda 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.
