Saudi crown prince to visit Pakistan later this year: official

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has accepted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s invitation to visit Pakistan, with the trip expected before December 31, a senior official from Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The expected visit underscores the longstanding strategic and fraternal relationship between the two countries.

Prime Minister Sharif has met the Saudi crown prince multiple times this year. Most recently, during his visit to Saudi Arabia on September 17, Sharif was received at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh. The talks included delegations from both countries and began with Sharif conveying his greetings and warm wishes to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

During the meetings, both sides reviewed the historic and strategic ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and discussed a wide range of topics of mutual interest.

This followed an earlier encounter, two days before the Riyadh meeting, when PM Sharif met the crown prince on the sidelines of the Emergency Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha, convened in response to Israel’s recent attack on Qatar. During that discussion, they addressed the emerging regional situation, with Sharif praising the crown prince’s leadership in uniting the Muslim Ummah and reaffirming Pakistan’s diplomatic support in the UN Security Council and other multilateral forums, including the OIC.

The upcoming visit builds on a series of prior interactions. In June 2025, Sharif extended an invitation to the crown prince, which was accepted, though the dates were not finalized at the time. Both leaders emphasized aligning their efforts with the shared vision and aspirations of their peoples.

Even earlier, in December 2024, Sharif had also invited the crown prince, who had expressed eagerness to visit Pakistan at the earliest opportunity.