Pakistan has constituted an 18-member committee to steer economic negotiations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), a move that comes just days before a Saudi business delegation is due in Islamabad, officials confirmed Sunday.
According to a notification issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on October 5, the committee will be co-chaired by Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik and Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) National Coordinator Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ahmad. The co-chairs have been tasked with forming core negotiation teams to engage with Saudi counterparts and ensure implementation on a fast-track basis.
The Prime Minister’s Office further directed that all travel approvals for committee members to and from KSA be processed within one hour of submission on the same working day.
Key members of the committee include Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Khan Cheema, Special Assistant to the PM for Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan, Power Minister Awais Ahmed Leghari, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain, Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, and IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, among others.
The development comes as a Saudi business delegation, led by Prince Mansour bin Mohammad al-Saud, former governor of Hafar Al-Batin Province, prepares to visit Pakistan this week. According to a Reuters report, the group will explore opportunities in technology, sports equipment, food, and agriculture, with initial investment plans estimated at about $1 billion, possibly through the creation of a new fund.
While the visit is modest in scope, officials in Islamabad see it as the start of a deeper economic partnership that could mirror the countries’ longstanding military ties. The two nations signed a mutual defence agreement last month, pledging joint responses to aggression.
Saudi Arabia has long been a critical partner for Pakistan, supplying oil and financial assistance. In February, Riyadh signed a $1.2 billion deferred oil facility, disbursing $100 million monthly until February 2026. Islamabad is also seeking a rollover of $5 billion in Saudi loans — $2 billion maturing in December 2025 and $3 billion in June 2026 — at a concessional interest rate of four percent.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has previously described Riyadh as “central to Pakistan’s economy,” noting the kingdom’s role during his meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh last year.
Beyond immediate funding, Saudi interest has also extended to Pakistan’s mining sector, including a potential stake in the multibillion-dollar Reko Diq copper and gold mine in Balochistan. Islamabad, meanwhile, hopes for large-scale Saudi investment in state-owned enterprises and a new petrochemicals plant.
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