Imran Khan to visit Ƶ next week, says Pakistan Foreign Ministry

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. (Photo courtesy: PTI official media cell)
  • It’ll be either on Sept. 17-18 or Sept. 18-19 — Dr. Mohammad Faisal
  • The prime minister will travel with a small entourage, as per the government’s austerity drive

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Ƶ next week, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to Arab News on Thursday.
“It’ll be either on Sept. 17-18 or Sept. 18-19. The details (of the visit) are being finalized,” said Dr. Mohammad Faisal, spokesperson for Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He said the prime minister will travel to Ƶ with a small entourage, as per the government’s austerity drive.
Arab News learned that the agenda of his meetings with Saudi dignitaries was being finalized. The prime minister will discuss “financial support to Pakistan and the wellbeing of hundreds of thousands of Pakistani workers (in Ƶ).”
The development comes just days after a three-day visit of Ƶ’s Media Minister Dr. Awwad bin Saleh Al-Awwad to Islamabad, during which he held meetings with Imran Khan and other top civil-military leaders. The minister passed on greetings from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the prime minister and invited him to visit Ƶ.
In his victory speech on July 26, Imran Khan said: “Ƶ is a friend who has always stood by us in difficult times.”
King Salman, in a telephone call on Aug. 12, congratulated Imran Khan on his party’s victory in the country’s parliamentary elections.
Pakistan is an important ally of Ƶ, King Salman had said, adding that Ƶ wants to maintain cordial relations with the country. He extended an invitation to Imran Khan, who had accepted.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also telephoned Khan and expressed the Kingdom’s desire to invest heavily in the country to strengthen its trade and bilateral ties with Pakistan.
“Pakistan considers Ƶ’s security to be of crucial importance and safety of the holy sites in the kingdom was part of their faith,” the PTI said in a statement after Khan spoke to King Salman.