PM heads to Riyadh for investment summit today
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will depart for Saudi Arabia today to attend the ninth edition of the two-day Future Investment Initiative (FII9), where he is expected to meet the Saudi leadership as well as leaders from participating countries to advance “economic diplomacy”.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the premier is leading a high-level delegation to Riyadh from Oct 27 to 29 to participate in the event at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The two-day event to be attended by global leaders, investors, policymakers, and innovators will explore the theme of ‘Key to Prosperity: Unlocking New Frontiers of Growth’. The discussions will address global challenges and opportunities, focusing on key topics such as innovation, sustainability, economic inclusion, and geopolitical shifts.
“During his stay, the premier will engage with the Saudi leadership to explore avenues for enhanced cooperation in the trade, investment, energy, and human resource sectors. The discussions will also cover regional and global issues of mutual interest and concern,” the FO spokesperson said in a statement.
Process of issuing new RLNG gas connections begins
The PM will also interact with leaders from other participating countries and heads of international organisations on the sidelines of the event.
RLNG connections
Separately, PM Shehbaz lifted a four-year ban on gas connections and formally kicked off the process of supplying regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) connections to the domestic consumers. A senior official of the petroleum ministry told Dawn that RLNG was costlier than natural gas.
“The new consumers with RLNG connections will have to get gas at a higher cost, which is approximately Rs3,000 per metric million British thermal unit (mmBtu) compared to the price of natural gas, which starts from Rs400 to 4,200 per mmBtu.
Though the RLNG price is higher, in case of high consumption even the natural gas slabs become expensive, with the cost reaching up to Rs4,200 per mmBtu.
Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2025
