Curtain Raiser- Official Visit of the Prime Minister of Pakistan to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 4-6 March 2015

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif will be visiting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 4-6 March 2015 on the invitation of His Majesty King Salman Bin Abulaziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. This will be his first official visit to the Kingdom since assuming the office of the Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2013.

The Prime Minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation that would include Finance Minister, Mr. Ishaq Dar, Chief Minister of Punjab, Mr. Shahbaz Sharif and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Syed Tariq Fatemi. During the visit he will hold talks with the King, perform Umrah and visit Madinah to offer prayers at the Masjid-e-Nabvi (Peace Be Upon Him).

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are tied in close fraternal bonds of shared faith and values. Being the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the King of Saudi Arabia has a special place in the hearts of every Pakistani. Saudi Arabia also hosts more than 1.7 million Pakistanis whose remittances contribute substantially to the economy of Pakistan. Annual trade volume between the two countries exceeds US$ 4.5 billion.

The official visit of the Prime Minister will provide an opportunity to the leadership of the two countries to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern in the global and regional context and further strengthen our close bilateral relations.

Islamabad
3 March 2015

64/2015