The Foreign Office (FO) on Wednesday announced that Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is due to embark on his first official visit to Pakistan on February 27 (Thursday).

According to a statement from the FO, the crown prince will be accompanied on the trip by ministers, senior officials and prominent members of the business community.

Pakistan and the UAE share close diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties. The UAE is one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners in the Middle East and a major source of remittances, with a large Pakistani expatriate population living and working there. The two countries collaborate in sectors such as trade, energy, defence, and investment.

“This visit underscores the deep-rooted fraternal ties between Pakistan and the UAE and reflects the shared commitment to further strengthen bilateral economic partnership,” the statement reads.

It said the crown prince would engage with the Pakistani leadership on matters of mutual interest while reinforcing historical ties and fostering economic and investment cooperation, adding that both nations would sign agreements “to bolster [the] existing robust framework for long-term collaboration in multifaceted sectors”.

“These commitments are expected to open new opportunities for joint ventures and projects aimed at furthering economic cooperation between both the countries and their peoples,” the FO said.

“Pakistan and the UAE have always enjoyed a relationship characterised by mutual respect, trust, and shared aspirations. The visit of Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan demonstrates [the] commitment of two countries to elevate the mutual cooperation, reflective of growing partnership and robust people-to-people linkages,” the statement concluded.

On February 11, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Qasr Al Shati in Abu Dhabi, the FO had said in a statement, adding that both leaders stressed the need for further strengthening the brotherly ties between the two countries.

“The talks emphasised cooperation in economic, trade, and development fields, alongside other areas that align with both nations’ visions for sustainable economic growth and prosperity,” it said, agreeing to make 2025 “a year of action”.