- Two countries agree to abolish visa requirements for official passport holders.
- DPM Dar, Saudi FM sign deal in New York on UNGA sidelines.
- Dar says move will facilitate high-level engagement between two countries.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to waive visa requirements for holders of diplomatic and official or special passports, in a move aimed at facilitating high-level engagement and institutional exchanges between the two countries.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, signed the agreement in New York on the sidelines of the 2026 United Nations General Assembly session.
Under the agreement, Pakistani citizens holding diplomatic and official passports will be able to travel to Saudi Arabia without obtaining a visa, Dar said.
The deputy prime minister announced the development in a post on X, saying he was pleased to sign the agreement with the Saudi foreign minister.
Dar described the move as an important step towards facilitating high-level engagement and institutional exchanges between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
He said it would also contribute to advancing the countries’ “enduring and brotherly strategic partnership” across areas of mutual interest.
Wider strategic partnership
The visa waiver is the latest in a series of steps that have drawn Islamabad and Riyadh closer over the past year, as the two countries seek to deepen their economic, political and strategic ties.
Last month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan wanted to elevate its economic relationship with Saudi Arabia into a mutually beneficial strategic economic partnership.
His remarks came during a meeting with a high-level Saudi business delegation led by Prince Mansour bin Mohammad Al Saud, chairman of the Saudi-Pak Joint Business Council.
The Saudi delegation expressed interest in investment opportunities in agriculture, ports, highways, airport outsourcing, real estate, energy, power distribution and information technology.
The two countries have also strengthened their security and defence cooperation. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in August, establishing a framework for collective security cooperation.
The Strategic Political and Defence Committee established under the agreement held its inaugural meeting in Istanbul on August 31, with the three countries agreeing to institutionalise cooperation under the pact.
The latest visa arrangement is expected to make official travel easier and further facilitate contacts between government institutions in the two countries.
2026-09-22 07:11:00
