UAE president arrives in Pakistan on maiden official visit
President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, arrived on Friday on his first official visit to Pakistan at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Al Nahyan, who is on a day-long visit, was received at the Nur Khan airbase by Prime Minister Shehbaz. He had earlier visited Pakistan on a private trip in January this year. The Pakistan Air Force jets presented a ceremonial aerial salute and escorted Al Nahyan’s plane as it entered Pakistani airspace. According to a statement by the Foreign Office (FO), this is Al Nahyan’s first official visit to Pakistan as the UAE president and he is accompanied by a high-level delegation.
President Al Nahyan, who is also the ruler of Abu Dhabi, will review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations with Prime Minister Shehbaz and both leaders will “exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest,” the statement said. “The visit will provide an important opportunity to further strengthen the longstanding brotherly relations between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates,” the FO said. The FO added that the visit reflects the depth of bilateral relations between both nations and their shared commitment to bolster collaboration in key areas, including trade, investment, energy, development and regional stability.
During the visit, the UAE leader will hold a meeting with the prime minister, where the two leaders will review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. Pakistan and the UAE have close ties and the visit will further strengthen the longstanding relations between the two countries. Pakistan and the UAE share close diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties, strengthened by historical connections and a large Pakistani expatriate community in the Emirates.
The UAE is one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners and a key source of remittances, with thousands of Pakistanis working in various sectors. Both countries collaborate on defence, energy, and investment projects, with the UAE frequently providing financial aid and humanitarian assistance to Pakistan. In April this year, Pakistan and the UAE signed and exchanged multiple memoranda of understanding (MoU) to further strengthen bonds between the people of both nations.
