UAE Ambassador Salem Mohammed Al Zaabi met Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and several members of the Pakistani cabinet on Sunday to review bilateral relations and discuss trade and economic cooperation, the UAE embassy said.
The ambassador held separate meetings with Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi, Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani, and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.
According to a statement shared by the UAE embassy in Islamabad on social media platform X, the meetings included an exchange of views on recent regional and international developments, as well as issues of mutual interest between the two countries.
The embassy added that during his meeting with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Ambassador Al Zaabi also discussed bilateral ties and explored ways to further strengthen economic and trade cooperation.
Pakistan enjoys cordial ties with UAE rooted in shared values, faith, culture and economic relations. The Gulf nation is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the US.
The UAE is also home to two million Pakistani expatriates, who make it the second-largest source of foreign remittances for cash-strapped Pakistan after Saudi Arabia.
The UAE is also a major source of foreign investment in Pakistan, which have been valued at over $10 billion in the last 20 years, according to the Gulf state’s foreign ministry.
Policymakers in Pakistan consider the UAE an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.
Both nations have signed agreements worth billions of dollars recently as Pakistan eyes greater trade and economic ties with Gulf states. In January 2024, Pakistan and the UAE signed multiple agreements worth more than $3 billion for cooperation in railways, economic zones and infrastructure.
Source: Dunya News
