- Two international locations comply with abolish visa necessities for official passport holders.
- DPM Dar, Saudi FM signal deal in New York on UNGA sidelines.
- Dar says transfer will facilitate high-level engagement between two international locations.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to waive visa necessities for holders of diplomatic and official or particular passports, in a transfer geared toward facilitating high-level engagement and institutional exchanges between the 2 international locations.
Deputy Prime Minister and International Minister Ishaq Dar and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, signed the settlement in New York on the sidelines of the 2026 United Nations Basic Meeting session.
Beneath the settlement, Pakistani residents holding diplomatic and official passports will have the ability to journey to Saudi Arabia with out acquiring a visa, Dar mentioned.
The deputy prime minister introduced the event in a publish on X, saying he was happy to signal the settlement with the Saudi overseas minister.
Dar described the transfer as an vital step in direction of facilitating high-level engagement and institutional exchanges between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
He mentioned it could additionally contribute to advancing the international locations’ “enduring and brotherly strategic partnership” throughout areas of mutual curiosity.
Wider strategic partnership
The visa waiver is the newest in a sequence of steps which have drawn Islamabad and Riyadh nearer over the previous yr, as the 2 international locations search to deepen their financial, political and strategic ties.
Final month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif mentioned Pakistan needed to raise its financial relationship with Saudi Arabia right into a mutually helpful strategic financial partnership.
His remarks got here throughout a gathering with a high-level Saudi enterprise delegation led by Prince Mansour bin Mohammad Al Saud, chairman of the Saudi-Pak Joint Enterprise Council.
The Saudi delegation expressed curiosity in funding alternatives in agriculture, ports, highways, airport outsourcing, actual property, vitality, energy distribution and knowledge know-how.
The 2 international locations have additionally strengthened their safety and defence cooperation. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Settlement in August, establishing a framework for collective safety cooperation.
The Strategic Political and Defence Committee established beneath the settlement held its inaugural assembly in Istanbul on August 31, with the three international locations agreeing to institutionalise cooperation beneath the pact.
The newest visa association is predicted to make official journey simpler and additional facilitate contacts between authorities establishments within the two international locations.
