United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan reached Islamabad on Friday on his first official visit to Pakistan, according to the UAE’s state media agency WAM.
This is the second time the Emirati president will visit Pakistan this year, having met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Rahim Yar Khan in January. However, Friday’s trip, according to the FO, is his first official visit as president.
According to a statement by the Foreign Office (FO), President Al Nahyan will review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations with PM Shehbaz and the pair will “exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest”.
“The visit will provide an important opportunity to further strengthen the longstanding brotherly relations between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates,” the FO said.
The FO added that the visit reflects the depth of bilateral relations between both nations and their shared commitment to bolster collaboration in key areas, including trade, investment, energy, development and regional stability.
On Wednesday, the district administration of Islamabad announced a public holiday in the federal capital on the day of the visit (today).
“It is notified that Dec 26 (Friday) is hereby declared as a local holiday within the revenue limits of the Islamabad Capital Territory,” a notification issued by the magistrate’s office said.
It was posted on X by Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon.
Memon said that all essential services, including hospitals, police, city administration, Capital Development Authority (CDA), and utility services, would remain operational.
Pakistan and the UAE share close diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties, strengthened by historical connections and a large Pakistani expatriate community in the Emirates.
The UAE is one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners and a key source of remittances, with thousands of Pakistanis working in various sectors. Both countries collaborate on defence, energy, and investment projects, with the UAE frequently providing financial aid and humanitarian assistance to Pakistan.
In April this year, Pakistan and the UAE signed and exchanged multiple memoranda of understanding (MoU) to further strengthen bonds between the people of both nations.
Two of the MoUs were for cooperation in the field of culture and the establishment of a joint committee for consular affairs, according to the report.
The third MoU was signed between the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry for the establishment of the UAE-Pakistan Joint Business Council.
