RAHIM YAR KHAN: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, at Sheikh Zayed Palace, Rahim Yar Khan, this afternoon.
In a related development, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar telephoned his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan to discuss “the current regional situation and recent developments.”
Earlier in meeting with UAE president, the prime minister was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Ata Tarar, SAPM Tariq Fatemi, and other senior officials.
During their warm and cordial meeting, the two leaders carried forward discussions from their recent meeting in Islamabad on December 26, 2025, when His Highness paid his first official visit to Pakistan as President of the UAE.
The prime minister reiterated his firm resolve to elevate the longstanding, brotherly ties between Pakistan and the UAE into a strategic, mutually beneficial economic partnership. He stressed the need for both sides to actively pursue an enhancement in bilateral trade through a quantum jump which would bring it to the desired level. The two leaders also discussed ways to enhance cooperation in a wide range of areas, including IT, energy, mining and minerals, as well as defence cooperation.
While expressing his great admiration for the UAE’s remarkable progress under His Highness’ dynamic and visionary leadership, the prime minister thanked the UAE president for his patronage and commitment to foster stronger ties between the two countries.
He also appreciated the UAE for hosting 2.1 million Pakistanis, who were playing an important role in strengthening ties between both countries. In addition to bilateral cooperation, the two leaders also exchanged views on a variety of subjects. The meeting capped off a year of extensive leadership-level engagements between Pakistan and the UAE.
In a related development, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar telephoned his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan today, where both sides discussed “the current regional situation and recent developments”. “Both leaders exchanged views on the current regional situation and recent developments. The DPM/FM conveyed Season’s Greetings and best wishes for the New Year, which were warmly reciprocated by Prince Faisal,” said the statement by the Foreign Office after the telephone call to Riyadh.
The DPM/FM expressed satisfaction with the positive trajectory of bilateral relations, while Prince Faisal reaffirmed his commitment to further strengthening and enhancing bilateral ties, added the Foreign Office. The members of the UAE government are presently in Rahim Yar Khan on annual hunting trips for Houbara bustard. The UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan are presently both in Rahim Yar Khan. They arrived there immediately after an official visit by the UAE President to Pakistan.
