Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to visit Saudi Arabia within the next 48 hours after receiving an invitation from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to Geo News.
During the visit to Riyadh, Pakistan’s premier is likely to hold high-level consultations on regional and international developments, reflecting continued diplomatic coordination between the two long-standing allies.
The trip comes in the backdrop of recent high-stakes US–Iran talks held in Islamabad, which continued for 21 hours from Saturday into early Sunday. The discussions marked the first direct engagement between Washington and Tehran in over a decade and the most senior-level contact since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Although the talks did not result in a formal agreement, they took place shortly after a ceasefire came into effect aimed at halting weeks of fighting across the Gulf region that had disrupted energy supplies and raised fears of broader escalation. Following the inconclusive outcome, reports indicated that the US military was preparing maritime restrictions on Iranian shipping routes, further heightening regional tensions and putting pressure on the fragile ceasefire.
In Riyadh, discussions are also expected to focus on economic and financial cooperation, particularly in light of recent commitments by Saudi Arabia and Qatar to provide $5 billion in assistance to Pakistan.
Prime Minister Sharif will be accompanied by Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Special Assistant Syed Tariq Fatemi. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb is also expected to join the delegation, subject to his ongoing visit to the United States.
The visit also comes amid strengthened Pakistan–Saudi defence cooperation following a mutual defence pact signed in September 2025, under which both countries agreed to treat aggression against either side as an attack on both. Pakistani forces were previously deployed to Saudi Arabia under the agreement to support regional security arrangements.