Mohammed bin Salman, Shehbaz Sharif Discuss Regional, Int’l Developments

The Saudi Crown Prince met on Wednesday with the Pakistani Prime Minister at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah. SPA
The Saudi Crown Prince met on Wednesday with the Pakistani Prime Minister at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah. SPA
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Mohammed bin Salman, Shehbaz Sharif Discuss Regional, Int’l Developments

The Saudi Crown Prince met on Wednesday with the Pakistani Prime Minister at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah. SPA
The Saudi Crown Prince met on Wednesday with the Pakistani Prime Minister at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah. SPA

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, met on Wednesday with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah. 

They discussed regional and international developments, as well as the historic relationship between their countries and means to develop cooperation in various fields. 

The meeting was attended by Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, National Security Adviser Musaed Al-Aiban and the Kingdom’s Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf al-Malki. Pakistan’s Army Chief of Staff Syed Asim Munir also attended the meeting. 

Shebaz Sharif had arrived in Jeddah on Wednesday on an official visit. He will discuss with Saudi officials issues of joint interest as they underscore their cooperation on all political and economic levels. 

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan enjoy close relations that go back more than 70 years and that have become elevated to the level of “strategic partnership” due to their respective leaderships’ keenness on developing cooperation in all fields to serve common interests. 

Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ahmad Farooq had previously told Asharq Al-Awsat that the two countries enjoy strong historic relations and they are bound by their strategic partnership. 

Crown Prince Mohammed had visited Pakistan in February 2019 where he announced the establishment of the Saudi-Pakistani Supreme Coordination Council and the signing of investment agreements worth over 20 billion dollars. 

The council has helped develop relations and deepen political, economic, investment, security and military relations between the two sides. 



Syrian Air Says It Is Resuming Its Direct Flights to UAE on Sunday

 Travellers are welcomed at Damascus's airport. (AFP file)
Travellers are welcomed at Damascus's airport. (AFP file)
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Syrian Air Says It Is Resuming Its Direct Flights to UAE on Sunday

 Travellers are welcomed at Damascus's airport. (AFP file)
Travellers are welcomed at Damascus's airport. (AFP file)

Syria's flag carrier Syrian Air will resume direct flights to Dubai and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates starting on Sunday, the airline said in a Facebook post.

All flights between Syria and the UAE had been suspended in January after opposition factions toppled former leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

The announcement comes days after the UAE's civil aviation authority announced the resumption of air flights between the Gulf country and Syria. No UAE-based airlines have announced plans to fly to Syria so far.

The resumption of flights between the two countries followed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s first visit to the UAE as leader, where he met UAE's President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.