Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shakes hands with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during a meeting in Rahim Yar Khan. Photo: Express
RAHIM YAR KHAN:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, at Sheikh Zayed Palace, Rahim Yar Khan on Tuesday afternoon and discussed issues of mutual interest.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, SAPM Tariq Fatemi and other senior officials. During their warm and cordial meeting, the two
leaders brought forward discussions from their most recent meeting in Islamabad on December 26, 2025, when Al Nahyan made his first official visit to Pakistan as UAE president.
The Prime Minister reiterated his firm resolve to elevate the longstanding fraternal ties between Pakistan and the UAE into a strategic, mutually beneficial, economic partnership. He stressed the need for both sides to actively pursue the improvement of bilateral trade through a quantum leap that will bring it to the desired level.
The two leaders also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in a wide range of areas, including IT, energy, mining and minerals, as well as defense cooperation. While expressing his great admiration for the UAE’s remarkable progress under Al Nahyan’s dynamic and visionary leadership, the Prime Minister thanked the UAE President for his patronage and commitment to forging stronger bilateral ties.
He also appreciated the UAE for hosting 2.1 million Pakistanis, who played an important role in strengthening ties between both countries. In addition to the bilateral cooperation, the two leaders also exchanged views on a number of topics. The meeting concluded a year of extensive leadership-level engagements between Pakistan and the UAE.
