PM Shehbaz Sharif to embark on diplomatic visit to Saudi Arabia today

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Atta Tarar revealed that Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif will visit Saudi Arabia in diplomatic capacity on Saturday (today).

The PM Shehbaz Sharif is set to embark to Saudi Arabia from April 6 to 8. This marks his first official foreign visit since assuming office.

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During his stay, the PM is expected to perform the holy pilgrimage Umrah and offer prayers at Masjid-i-Nabwi. He is also set to hold talks with his Saudi counterpart and meet with the kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah.

These meetings are expected to cover a wide range of topics, including bilateral projects, regional developments, and global affairs.

According to sources, the upcoming visit will focus on investment projects. There are indications of Saudi Arabia considering a substantial investment of $1 billion in the Reko Diq Copper-Gold Project.

The project is located near Reko Diq town in Balochistan. The mine in Reko Diq contains one of the largest reserves of copper and gold in the world. The mine reportedly has ore reserves of 5.9 billion tonnes, graded at 0.41 per cent copper. It also apparently contains around 1,176 tonnes of gold.

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The detailed schedule for the visit is expected to be finalised soon.

According to Tarar, PM Shehbaz Sharif decided to opt for commercial flight for travel, along with personally covering the travel expenses for himself and accompanying delegation members.