NEW YORK: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to waive visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, official and special passports, easing official travel and facilitating high-level engagement between the two countries during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan signed the agreement on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly session.
Dar announced the agreement in a post on X, saying Pakistani citizens holding diplomatic and official passports would be able to travel to Saudi Arabia without obtaining visas.
He described the agreement as an important step toward facilitating high-level engagement and institutional exchanges, saying it would further strengthen the countries’ longstanding strategic partnership.
The visa waiver is expected to make travel easier for government officials and diplomatic representatives conducting bilateral business between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
The agreement covers diplomatic, official and special passport holders and does not extend to ordinary passport holders.
The development comes as Islamabad and Riyadh continue to expand cooperation across economic, political and security matters.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have also been seeking to expand investment and trade ties.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently said Pakistan wanted to develop its economic relationship with Saudi Arabia into a mutually beneficial strategic economic partnership.
A Saudi business delegation led by Prince Mansour bin Mohammad Al Saud, chairman of the Saudi-Pak Joint Business Council, has explored investment opportunities in agriculture, ports, highways, airport outsourcing, real estate, energy, power distribution and information technology.
The two countries have also strengthened defense and security cooperation in recent months.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in August, establishing a framework for collective security cooperation. The agreement’s Strategic Political and Defence Committee held its inaugural meeting in Istanbul on Aug. 31, with the three countries agreeing to institutionalize cooperation under the pact.
The visa agreement adds to the growing network of official and institutional ties between Islamabad and Riyadh, providing a mechanism for easier movement of senior officials and diplomatic representatives between the two countries.
