Key Takeaways
- Pakistani and Saudi officials with diplomatic or official passports can now travel visa-free between the two countries.
- The agreement was signed during the 2026 United Nations General Assembly session in New York.
- The move aims to strengthen strategic partnership and facilitate cooperation in various sectors.
Pakistani and Saudi officials with diplomatic or official passports will no longer require visas to travel between the two countries, following a new agreement signed by Islamabad and Riyadh.
The agreement was signed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan during the 2026 United Nations General Assembly session in New York.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar announced the agreement, stating that the visa waiver would facilitate high-level engagement and support greater institutional interaction between the two governments.
The agreement covers Pakistani citizens traveling to Saudi Arabia with diplomatic and official passports, as well as Saudi holders of diplomatic and official or special passports traveling to Pakistan.
The measure is expected to strengthen the strategic partnership between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and facilitate cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed interest in developing economic ties with Saudi Arabia into a strategic economic partnership.
A Saudi business delegation has discussed investment opportunities in agriculture, infrastructure, energy, and IT, while Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye have also expanded security cooperation through the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement and its new trilateral committee.
The agreement is part of ongoing efforts to expand the economic relationship between the two countries.
