JEDDAH, Feb 18: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and his entourage performed Umrah on Friday night. They offered special prayers for prosperity and well-being of the country, unity of the Ummah and liberation of occupied Muslim lands.

Earlier, on his arrival in Jeddah, the prime minister was received at the Royal Terminal of the Abdul Aziz airport by Saudi officials, president of the Islamic Development Bank, Dr Ahmed Mohammad Ali, Pakistan's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Abdul Aziz Mirza, and organizers of the Jeddah Economic Forum.

Mr Aziz is accompanied by federal Minister for Housing Syed Safwanullah, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Minister for Population Welfare Chaudhry Shahbaz Hussain, Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Nouraiz Shakoor, Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan, Chairman of Board of Investment Waseem Haqquie, Minister for Privatization Hafeez Sheikh, Chairman of Export Promotion Bureau Tariq Akram, and members of the National Assembly Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Nazir Ahmed Jat and Rais Munir Ahmed.

The prime minister will deliver a keynote speech at the Jeddah Economic Forum on Saturday on the theme of 'Capacity Building: Developing people for Sustainable Growth'. The Jeddah economic forum is organized by the Jeddah Marketing Board. -APP