Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will depart from Islamabad for Jeddah today on an official visit to Saudi Arabia, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a post on social media on Wednesday.

The premier will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, the statement said.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have long shared a multifaceted relationship rooted in strategic military cooperation, mutual economic interests, and shared Islamic heritage. These ties have encompassed economic assistance and energy supplies, with Riyadh being a significant source of financial aid and oil for Islamabad.

In September of last year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed a “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement” in Riyadh, pledging that any attack on either nation would be treated as an act of aggression against both.

More to follow