Islamabad : Prime minister , Shahbaz Sharif , on Wednesday departs for a 4-day tour to Saudi Arabia , Turkiye and Qatar .
Prime Minister Office (PMO) issued a statement wherein it said Prime Minister , Shahbaz Sharif , is travelling to Saudi Arabia and Turkiye from April 15 to 18 for discussing the latest ME situation with top leadership of these two brotherly countries.
The prime minister is going to discuss Pakistan’s efforts for establishing peace in the Middle East with the Saudi Crown Prince , Mohammad Bin Salman (MBS). He is also going to secure an assurance from the Saudi Crown Prince for rolling out of Saudi deposits amounting $ 5 billion already parked in Pakistan’s deposits and extend fresh financial support for Pakistan of $ 3 billion to build-up forex reserves .
According to the local media reports , Saudi Arabia has already pledged to provide much-needed financial support to Islamabad to plug off the gap in forex reserves as a result of return of $3.5 billion to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). UAE had turned down a Pakistan’s request for rolling over its deposits amounting to $ 3.5 billion and asked Islamabad to pay it back its funds in one go.
UAE ‘s demand has pushed Pakistan’s reserves to a difficult situation. Pakistan has announced to pay back UAE funds by April 17.
To make- up the gap and keeping its forex reserves at a reasonable level , Pakistan is going to seek more funds from Saudi Arabia.
The prime minister during his visit to Tukiye will discuss the ME situation with Turkiye president , Rajib Tayyab Erdogan and King of Qatar Mr Thani.
Pakistan ‘s office in its statement said
*Ministry of Foreign Affairs*
*(Office of the Spokesperson)*
*Curtain Raiser : Prime Minister’s Visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Türkiye (15–18 April 2026)*
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will undertake official visits to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar and the Republic of Türkiye from 15–18 April 2026.
The visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Qatar will be in the bilateral context, where the Prime Minister will meet the leadership of Saudi Arabia and Qatar to discuss ongoing bilateral cooperation as well as regional peace and security.
The Prime Minister will also visit Türkiye and Qatar to participate in the Fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum. During the Forum, the Prime Minister will participate in the Leaders’ Panel, alongside other world leaders, to present Pakistan’s perspective at the Forum. On the sidelines of the Forum, the Prime Minister is expected to hold bilateral meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other key world leaders.
Pakistan’s participation in the Forum reflects its continued commitment to constructive diplomacy, multilateral cooperation, and meaningful engagement with the international community on issues of global importance.
The Prime Minister will be accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi, as well as other senior officials.
