United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Islamabad on Friday on an official visit, his second trip to Pakistan this year, Pakistani officials said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, received Sheikh Mohamed at the airport. While the UAE leader visited Pakistan privately in January, this marks his first official visit to the country as president.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said Sheikh Mohamed and Sharif will review bilateral relations and discuss regional and international issues. Officials said agreements are expected in areas including trade, investment, energy, development and regional security.
The ministry said the visit aims to strengthen longstanding ties between the two countries, which maintain close diplomatic, economic and cultural relations.
Pakistan’s capital observed a public holiday to mark the visit, according to local authorities.
Around 1.7 to 1.9 million Pakistanis live and work in the UAE, making them the country’s second-largest expatriate community after Indians. Pakistanis are employed mainly in construction, trade, services, banking and information technology, and remittances from the UAE are a key source of foreign income for Pakistan.
Pakistan and the UAE cooperate closely on defense, energy and investment projects, and Abu Dhabi has provided financial and humanitarian assistance to Pakistan in the past. In April, the two countries signed three memoranda of understanding covering culture, consular affairs and the establishment of a trade council.
Analysts say Sheikh Mohamed’s foreign policy places emphasis on security and institutional stability, and that the visit could pave the way for increased UAE investment if Pakistan is seen as politically and economically stable.
While Pakistan has a mutual defense pact with Saudi Arabia, officials and analysts say there are no indications that Islamabad and Abu Dhabi are considering a similar agreement. Defense cooperation between Pakistan and the UAE currently focuses on training, joint military exercises and coordination between armed forces.
The two countries have held regular joint drills, including counter-terrorism exercises, and Pakistan awarded the UAE’s naval chief a top military honour earlier this year.
