Manama, November 26, 2025 – Pakistan and Bahrain have reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing bilateral economic and strategic cooperation. Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a high-level meeting with Bahrain’s Crown Prince, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, at the Al-Qudaibiya Palace, emphasizing stronger trade, investment, and people-to-people ties.
Upon arrival, Prime Minister Sharif was received with a guard of honor. During the meeting, he expressed gratitude for Bahrain’s warm hospitality and praised its leadership in promoting strong bilateral relations. The Prime Minister also congratulated Bahrain on securing a non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council for 2026–2027, offering Pakistan’s full cooperation during its tenure.
Economic cooperation formed a key part of the discussions. Prime Minister Sharif highlighted the potential to boost bilateral trade, currently valued at over USD 550 million, to USD 1 billion within three years. This growth would be supported by the Pakistan–GCC Free Trade Agreement, now in its final stages, along with recently eased visa regulations.
The Prime Minister invited Bahraini investors to explore opportunities in food security, IT, construction, mining, healthcare, renewable energy, and tourism, while also proposing enhanced port-to-port connectivity between Karachi/Gwadar and Bahrain’s Khalifa Bin Salman Port.
Acknowledging Bahrain’s support for Pakistan’s over 150,000-strong expatriate community, PM Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness to provide skilled manpower. He encouraged collaboration in higher education, technical training, and digital governance, building on initiatives like King Hamad University, and thanked Bahrain for assisting in the repatriation of Pakistani nationals.
The leaders also discussed defense and security cooperation, agreeing to expand collaboration in training, cybersecurity, defense production, and intelligence sharing. Regional issues, including recent developments in Gaza, were reviewed, with both leaders stressing the need for lasting peace and stability in the region.
The meeting concluded on a positive note, with both sides confident that the discussions would lead to tangible outcomes, further strengthening Pakistan–Bahrain relations across economic, strategic, security, and cultural domains.