MAKKAH: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday arrived in Saudi Arabia as part of his three-nation visit aimed at strengthening diplomatic efforts to promote peace in the Middle East.
The premier was received at the airport by Makkah Region Deputy Governor Prince Saud bin Mashaal bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Maliki, and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ahmed Farooq.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Shehbaz is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, where discussions will focus on strengthening Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relations and reviewing the evolving regional situation.
The prime minister is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant Syed Tariq Fatemi, and other senior officials.
Following his visit to Saudi Arabia, PM Shehbaz will travel to Qatar and Turkiye, where he will engage with respective leadership on bilateral cooperation and regional peace and security.
During his visit to Turkiye, the prime minister will participate in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum and join a Leaders’ Panel alongside global figures to present Pakistan’s perspective on key issues.
On the sidelines of the forum, he is also expected to hold meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other world leaders.
The visit comes as Islamabad has gained global attention for hosting high-level talks between the United States and Iran amid escalating tensions.
The recent talks, which lasted around 21 hours, marked the first direct engagement between Washington and Tehran in more than a decade and the highest-level contact since the Iranian Revolution. However, the discussions ended without a formal agreement.
The negotiations followed a ceasefire aimed at ending weeks of conflict that has caused widespread casualties, disrupted energy supplies and raised fears of a broader regional crisis.
Despite the inconclusive outcome, a second round of talks is expected to take place in Islamabad before the ceasefire expires, with Donald Trump indicating that negotiations could resume within the next few days.
