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The Prime Minister’s Office reported that the newly arrived Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Rajeh Tami Albugamy, called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. Welcoming the ambassador to Pakistan, Sharif congratulated him on assuming his new responsibilities and wished him success in his diplomatic assignment. The prime minister noted that Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relations had witnessed remarkable progress in recent years. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening existing institutional mechanisms to deepen and broaden bilateral cooperation across various sectors.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Sharif strongly condemned the recent escalation in Houthi attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The attacks had resulted in the loss of precious lives and injuries to scores of innocent people, including Pakistani nationals. The prime minister underlined that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had always stood by each other. He highlighted the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement and the Makkah Joint Defence Alliance as historic milestones reflecting their shared commitment to regional peace and security.
The statement from the Prime Minister’s Office added that Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan stands shoulder to shoulder with Saudi Arabia in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. Sharif thanked the Saudi leadership for its longstanding economic and financial support to Pakistan. He wished the ambassador every success in his assignment and assured him of Pakistan’s full support in strengthening the longstanding fraternal ties between the two countries.
Dawn reported that Ambassador Albugamy had presented his credentials to President Asif Ali Zardari earlier in the week before the meeting with the prime minister. He succeeds Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, who completed a nearly nine-year tenure as Saudi ambassador to Pakistan. The new envoy is a retired major general who holds a doctorate in human resource management from Brunel University in London.
The Foreign Office stated that the ambassador also met Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. Dar underscored the longstanding fraternal and strategic ties between Islamabad and Riyadh. He reaffirmed the shared commitment to strengthen bilateral cooperation for mutual progress and prosperity while exchanging greetings with the Saudi leadership.
Arab News reported that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have maintained longstanding political, economic and military ties. Riyadh has provided financial support to Islamabad during periods of economic difficulty and pledged billions of dollars in investments. The Prime Minister’s Office has detailed similar diplomatic engagements in recent months as the two sides continue high-level contacts.
