Pakistan announces relief for electricity consumers using up to 300 units

ISLAMABAD: Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will visit Pakistan today, Thursday, to boost economic ties and investment cooperation between the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, the foreign office said. 
The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States, and a major source of foreign investment valued at over $10 billion in the last 20 years, according to the Gulf country’s foreign ministry.
Sheikh Al Nayhan will arrive on his first official visit to Pakistan with a high-level delegation comprising ministers, senior officials and business leaders at Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s invitation, the foreign office’s statement said. 
“This visit underscores the deep-rooted fraternal ties between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and reflects the shared commitment to further strengthen bilateral economic partnership,” the statement said. 
The foreign office said the crown prince will engage in wide-ranging interactions with the Pakistani leadership to “exchange views on matters of mutual interest, reinforce historical bonds and promote economic as well as investment cooperation.”
“Several agreements and Memorandums of Understandings will be signed during the visit to bolster existing robust framework for long-term collaboration in multifaceted sectors,” it added. 
The agreements are expected to open new opportunities for joint ventures and projects aimed at furthering economic cooperation between both countries, the statement said. 
Pakistan and UAE have stepped up efforts in recent years to strengthen their economic relations. In Jan. 2024, Pakistan and the UAE signed multiple agreements worth more than $3 billion for cooperation in railways, economic zones and infrastructure.
The crown prince’s visit comes as Pakistan pursues economic diplomacy with several Central Asian and Gulf nations while treading a tricky path to economic recovery since avoiding a sovereign default in June 2023.
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. 
It is also home to more than a million Pakistani expatriates, making it the second-largest Pakistani expatriate community worldwide and a major source of foreign workers’ remittances for Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki on Wednesday formally handed over travel documents to 30 Pakistani pilgrims invited by the Kingdom as state guests to perform Umrah this year, state-run media reported, vowing to facilitate them during their journey. 
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman last year approved the hosting of 1,000 pilgrims from 66 countries to perform Umrah as part of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Program for Hajj, Umrah, and Visit. The pilgrims will be hosted in four groups during the current Islamic year, which ends in the final week of June 2025.
At a ceremony held in Islamabad, Malki expressed the Kingdom’s “deep commitment” to facilitate the pilgrims, underscoring the strong fraternal ties between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported. 
“These guests of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques will have the opportunity to perform Umrah with all necessary arrangements i.e. travel, lodging, and logistical support during their stay in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah under the supervision of the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance,” APP said. 

The Pakistani beneficiaries of the program expressed gratitude to King Salman and the Saudi government for their hospitality.
The APP said thousands of Pakistani citizens have benefitted from similar programs over the years, reflecting the deep-rooted religious and historical ties between the two nations.

“This latest gesture reaffirms Saudi Arabia’s unwavering commitment to facilitating the spiritual journeys of Muslims worldwide, particularly those from Pakistan, a country with one of the largest contingents of Umrah and Hajj pilgrims annually,” the state-run media said. 

Thousands of Pakistanis travel to Saudi Arabia every year to perform the voluntary Umrah pilgrimage, visiting holy Islamic places of worship in Makkah and Madinah.