• Premier meets crown prince, apprises him about reforms agenda, appreciates economic support
• Shehbaz calls for investment to ‘build a future rooted in resilience and shared prosperity’
• Underscores building knowledge-based economy driven by innovation in AI, education, health

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minis­ter Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday underscored the importance of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan’s future economic plans, as he met Saudi Crown Prince Moha­m­med Bin Salman on the sidelines of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh.

During his meeting with the crown prince, the premier highlighted the importance of the deep-rooted relations between the two countries and appreciated the kingdom’s support for Pakistan’s economic revival and stability.

The two leaders also took stock of bilateral engagements, especially the decisions taken in previous high-level meetings held in Makkah and Riyadh in April 2024. The premier also informed MBS of the government’s economic, institutional and policy reforms agenda, saying the Kingdom had a central role in Pakistan’s future economic plans.

The PM appreciated the kingdom’s efforts to promote regional peace and stability in the Middle East and reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to stand by Riyadh in these efforts. The two leaders exchanged views on regional developments and agreed to closely coordinate positions on regional issues.

Separately, the prime minister posted on ‘X’ that he had the honour of meeting Mohammed Bin Salman along with his delegation.

“Thanked him for his gracious hospitality. Pakistan’s ties with Saudi Arabia are historical and time-tested. During our very productive talks, we reviewed the progress in Pakistan-KSA relations across multiple sectors and reaffirmed our commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, particularly in areas such as trade and investment, culture, innovation, technology, and beyond,” he added.

PM Shehbaz arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a two-day visit to attend the FII session from Oct 29 to 31. During the moot, he is expected to engage with leaders and entrepreneurs.

This year’s conference is themed “Infinite Horizons: Inv­e­sting Today, Shaping Tomo­rrow” and focuses on global investments aimed at addressing major issues such as artificial intelligence, robotics, education, energy, space, finance, healthcare, and sustainability.

‘Knowledge-based economy’

Addressing the FII, the PM highlighted the importance of knowledge-based economy driven by innovation in domains of artificial intelligence, education and health. He also called for collective global efforts and partnerships to overcome contemporary challenges.

“Pakistan stands ready to join those who dare to dream big. We invite you to invest, to bring your expertise and creativity to Pakistan, as we build a future rooted in resilience and shared prosperity,” the prime minister said. The PM said Pakistan was laying the foundation for a knowledge-based economy driven by innovation in three pivotal domains, artificial intelligence, education, and health in which it looked forward to forging useful partnerships.

He elaborated Pakistan was blessed with something truly precious — the youth who was their promise to tomorrow. “Talented, resilient, and armed with an untiring spirit, they are now ready to take on the emerging challenges,” he added.

Inspired by Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, championed by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the prime minister said Pakistan shared a common mission and invested in its youth to shape the future.

The premier further said that in agriculture, climate resilience, and the fight against misinformation, they could unleash AI’s potential not merely to compete, but to uplift and empower.

“Our aspirations in AI and beyond are deeply rooted in a solid educational foundation. Through educational reforms, vocational training, and digital literacy, we aim to build a skilled and tech-savvy generation,” he added.

He said projects like Daanish Schools and the Education Endowment Fund in Pakistan that his government steered, made quality education accessible to those who once saw it as an unattainable dream.

“Today, he said these graduates aren’t just students; they are builders of tomorrow as doctors, engineers, and innovators. They are pioneers, driving progress and uplifting their communities, a testament to the transformative power of accessible education. Their success stories reinforce my belief that education is a true equaliser and a game-changer for individuals and nations alike,” he observed.

The PM said that health was the cornerstone of human advancement and Pakistan’s healthcare sector was home to over 275,000 registered doctors with their youth pioneering new health-tech solutions.

“Imagine the impact, pooling resources in areas like genome sequencing and personalised medicine. With such collaborations, we can redefine the whole healthcare system,” he stressed.

Gaza genocide

Talking about Palestine, PM Shehbaz emphatically said the global dream of progress and prosperity would never be fulfilled and transformed into action unless peace was restored in Gaza and bloodshed by Israel immediately stopped. He categorically referred to the situation in Gaza and said that without peace, the world would not progress and prosper, the PM’s Office media wing said in a press release.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2024