ISLAMABAD

United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday discussed the expansion of economic and energy ties between the two countries during a meeting in Islamabad.

Sheikh Mohamed was earlier received by Premier Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, and other federal ministers at the Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi, a garrison city adjacent to the capital Islamabad, after arriving in Pakistan for his first official visit.

His plane was escorted by Pakistani fighter jets upon entering Pakistani airspace.

During the visit, Sheikh Mohamed held "substantive talks" with Sharif focused on the exchange of views on "further strengthening" bilateral ties, according to a statement from Pakistan.

The two leaders discussed the ongoing areas of cooperation, new avenues, and important regional and international developments, the statement said.

They stressed "the importance of expanding collaboration in economic cooperation, investment, energy, infrastructure development, IT, technology, and people-to-people exchanges" and agreed upon the need to enhance bilateral trade, it added.

The UAE is one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners, with bilateral trade exceeding $10 billion last year, and is home to around 1.8 million Pakistani expatriates.

Remittances from Pakistanis working in the UAE reached about $6.7 billion in 2024 and are projected to surpass $7 billion in 2025.

They "reaffirmed their shared commitment to continue close coordination on matters of mutual interest," it said.

The two leaders, it said, also expressed "satisfaction with the positive trajectory of bilateral relations" and stated "their determination to continue to work together closely to advance the shared objective of peace, stability, and sustainable development."

According to Pakistan's Foreign Ministry, this is Sheikh Mohamed's first visit to Pakistan as president. He assumed the office in May 2022.

In January, he met Sharif in Rahim Yar Khan, a city in Punjab province, on a private visit.

The ministry said the visit “provides an important opportunity to further strengthen the longstanding brotherly relations between Pakistan and the UAE. It reflects the depth of bilateral ties and the shared commitment to enhancing cooperation in key areas, including trade, investment, energy, development, and regional stability.”